If you're looking at the five star review, you have to understand that I read Pops raw bar for what it is: an amazing hole in the wall food place that serves fresh seafood and great raw oysters. That being said, the price is reasonable and the drinks are decent. We arrived early because we thought maybe we would beat the crowd but no such luck. At 5 o'clock the main dining area inside was full and humming along. Luckily, they have some outdoor picnic tables on the front porch. It'd be nice to have some fans out there to keep the bugs away, but they weren't unbearable. No mosquitoes mostly flies. We ordered crab legs, oysters, peel and eat shrimp, and scallops. The hush puppies were outstanding the food arrived quickly and hot. If you're looking for a traditional seafood sauce or cocktail sauce, be prepared: there's more horseradish than ketchup in their cocktail sauce. I added a little bit more ketchup to mine, but boy was it good and it made me sweat! It was clear our Server was very busy, but that did not mean we weren't attended to with frequent check-in. It makes me sad that I waited so long to come to Pop's Raw Bar, but I am a fan and I will be back. read more

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Food was great! Service was okay. The food came out fast but we went a while needing refills and extra sauce. It's more of a small bar with great food as opposed to a restaurant. Waitress was friendly. We ate on the picnic table outside. We were told there were specials and we could go look at the sign inside to see and take a picture but it was "too much" for them to have to tell us. This is the kind of place you could probably go without kids and get good food quick if you had a small number in your party. If you're looking for a nicer place, I would recommend the Mad Crabber. Crab cake was better at Pops though. However the food was great at both places. read more

Pops is a small local bar some would even call it a dive bar. Got the recommendation from a local as I had been looking for fresh oysters all week during my vacation. The oysters were fresh and delicious just what I wanted. I also got the blackened tuns bites which were cooked perfectly. The shrimp appetizer however was not cooked and needed to be sent back for being raw under the wrap. Our server was quick to remove it from the bill which was in my opinion the right thing to do. My table mates were not as happy with their meals. The crab cake from what I was told was mushy and lacking crab and the chicken cheese steak tasted like yesterday's chicken. Overall if looking for a local place with lots of character Pop's is the place to go. Just need to pick the right meal. read more

Pop's Raw Bar & Restaurant - Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Buxton, North Carolina

Local hang - no dress code - come as you are- right from the beach. Big bar with a few tables inside picnic tables outside parking is available right off of Route 12 or in the back. It has been here since before 1984, with a closure due to fire, yet coming from the ashes was an updated menu. Super friendly staff, drinks delivered quickly. read more

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The steamed oyster's were very good. I had scallops , oysters and crab cake. I did not care for the crab cake and the scallops didn't have any flavor. We sat outside because the music was just to loud inside. Overall it was good and the service was good. read more

Another great lunch at Pops. Always fun and always delicious. Stop in and give it a try today. Karen the bartender is great and can always make good recommendations. Enjoy read more

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Whizzed by this place when heading to Cape Hatteras came back and stopped for dinner. Yummy Yummy Yummy Peel n Eat shrimp were delicious and the Beer was so cold it called for a second ;) ladies were quick to take orders and get food out super fast . Definitely if I'm back I'll stop again read more

The food is great & there's nothing fancy about this place but I'm a magnet to Mom & POP's places like this . I've been a patron for years & God willing I'll continue. It's a must stop when going to the OBX read more

Dive bar, great food. Blackened scallops were on point and the bartender was great. I'm glad we happened upon this place. Only regret is not finding it years ago. read more

Pop's Raw Bar & Restaurant - Raw oysters, blackened scallops, fries, hush puppies, and cole slaw. - Seafood Near Me - Buxton, North Carolina

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Excellent food! Just a little bar on the side of the road but great fresh oysters and crab cakes. They have a bar or tables to sit at some classic rock playing, sipping on my beer and slurping down some oysters on the half shell. Life is good. read more

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Food here was delicious! The space is a bit small, but we didn't have to wait for a table. It can get a bit loud since it's a bar as well, but it was ok. The food came out quick and service was great. read more

Pop's Raw Bar & Restaurant - Hush puppies with shrimp , crabcake and scallops - Seafood Near Me - Buxton, North Carolina

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Stopped in today for a quick lunch and we enjoyed ourselves. My wife had the catfish sandwich while I had a cheeseburger. Both were very good and the price was reasonable. Our waitress was very good and enjoyable to be around. Keep in mind that this is a dive bar that serves good food, so don't expect upscale dining! I do recommend giving it a try! read more

Wonderful food, reasonably priced, and fun atmosphere! Don't judge by the exterior, food was absolutely AMAZING!

Donald is my favorite! He is amazing!!!!! 10/10 hes the best!!! Love this place!!!! He had everything taken care of quickly and perfectly nothing was wrong we laughed I can definitely say ill be back!!! read more

Pop's Raw Bar & Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Buxton, North Carolina

Great service great food great dive bar shrimp basket and burgers and cold cheap beer.....

I have lost count of how many times we have been into Pops. We are in the area at least once a year and now it will be more than that because we have a place down here. I give it three out of five stars because I have had quite a variety of experiences here. More often than not I am happy with the food I get here. When we were in recently, the burger I had was absolutely delicious and the meal that my husband got was great as well. What threw me a little bit recently was how we were greeted when we came in. An employee was really rather short and rude when we were looking for a table and it wasn't a good start to our experience. Usually when we are in there, everyone is friendly so maybe this just was an off day for this employee. And while our food this last visit was great, I can't say that it has been anything to brag about on other occasions. So it's a mixed bag here, but I'm sure we will continue to patronize this place because I think we've had more good experiences than bad. read more

This place was awesome! One of our favorites in the obx... service was great. the steamed shrimp, oysters, fried catfish, and crab legs were fresh, hot, and delicious! the view from the outdoor seating is beautiful especially at sunset. prices are reasonable but crab legs are kinda on the expensive side in my opinion... sit outside if you don't want the loudness of a bar. overall, great place; definitely recommend it! read more

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Great local lunch/dinner spot offering fresh seafood and burgers at very good prices. Place gets crowded quickly so don't plan on going there during peak times. I knocked one star off only due to the loud classic rock being played indoors making talking across the bar/table difficult. read more

A must!!!!!! Out of all the places we went. This place was really good. The waitresses were awesome and just a good feel. We plan on going back multiple times while we are in town. Please trust me go by. Try the food. You will not be unhappy. read more

This used to be a place I would stop in for a beer or two while camping down in OBX. Last Saturday a buddy and I stopped in for a beer. Sat outside then decided to go in and maybe get a bite to eat and another beer. My buddy is a disabled Vet with a service dog that has been completely trained and wears a vest. We sat in the corner and the dog went and laid down under the table out of the way. The bartender/waitress came over and told us we had to leave, dogs weren't allowed in there. The only dogs that can come in is if the person is blind. Michael explained how the dog is trained, has all the credentials, etc., offered to show her and she still said it didn't matter. One of her responses was it has carpet in there so we can't have dogs? BS! I will pass this on to others and will not be back. There are plenty of places in OBX that will take our business. read more

It's fine - but nothing special. Tried fried shrimp, fried clams, fried scallops, French fries, hush puppies, coleslaw, and hot wings. Coleslaw was super heavy on mayonnaise. Hot wings were fine - but not tossed (sauce on side). Shrimp was not heavily breaded but I enjoyed it ok. Kids hated it. Scallops were fairly tasty and clams were pretty typical. Fries were fine. Again - nothing bad but nothing great either. read more

Pops is a great place. It's got that locals bar vibe but service is always excellent and it's always a great place to visit. We always see what the fresh fish offerings are and when we saw Trigger Fish we knew that is what we wanted. I had the sandwich and my wife had the platter. The portions were very generous. We both chose fried and it was perfect. Just lightly dusted and cooked to perfection. Pops never disappoints. read more

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If you've never been here, you've missed out so much the best bar and the best fish and other items in the country. We've been going here now for over eight years and when we go to the Outer Banks, we always go to Pops. It's one of our favorite places, the service is awesome. The music is awesome. The food is incredible and the drinks are such a good poor we would always strongly suggest anyone Coming to Pops. read more

Food was pretty good. Water did not taste good. They ended up giving us some free Shrimp from the kitchen. The servers were both really nice and friendly. I will say that since this is a smaller establishment, sometimes it took time for the servers to get to us but that didn't bother us. Just note that there is not a lot of tables for those with bigger families. read more

When I saw the reviews, I was really excited. The vibe and the environment inside the place is great. The food looks delicious and tastes great. The service started off well. There was a little bit of a rush that came in, but being that there were only two employees working on the floor, we only saw our server until we got our food. Once we got our food, we were only asked if we were doing all right one time and it was about 15 minutes after we got our food. At the end, they brought us one check (totally fine). About 10 minutes later she finally came back and when we asked them to split it, what appeared to be the manager scoffed and said "that's gonna be a few minutes" and immediately turned away. I can understand that it may take some time, but to be scoffed at and for her to show that she was visibly annoyed, felt disrespectful. I would definitely go again to enjoy a good meal, but not being treated well definitely put a bad taste in my mouth. read more

I stopped by this place after driving by for years. My loss! Really great food and the servings were very large. The broiled scallops are the best! GO EARLY! read more

Pop's Raw Bar & Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Buxton, North Carolina

Everything it was advertised as here!!! Absolutely fresh and delicious food. Fast service, cold beer and amazing time. Will be MY place to go every time I am in the area. You will be hard pressed to find better, fresher seafood anywhere else. read more

I look forward going here every year. It is a non dive bar. Looks are deceiving. The inside is very nice but the food is isooo good. Try the catfish bites you wont be sorry. It never disappoints. It is very kid friendly as well. You will thank me later. read more

Good food. Very busy but wait staff was very attentive. Good prices. Would definitely go back!

Worst bartender ever, hope They get sued out of business. Kicked us out instantly because we had a fully ada compliant service animal. In the United States, restaurants must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) when it comes to service animals. Here's a clear breakdown of the rules regarding service animals and when a restaurant can or cannot refuse service: What Restaurants MUST Do: 1. Allow service animals into all areas where customers are normally allowed to go (including dining areas, patios, etc.). 2. Permit only dogs or miniature horses that are trained to perform specific tasks for a person with a disability. 3. Only ask two questions if it is not obvious the animal is a service animal: * "Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?" * "What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?" * (They cannot ask about the person's disability or demand documentation.) 4. Not require ID, certification, or vests for the animal. 5. Not charge extra fees for the service animal. When a Restaurant CAN Refuse or Remove a Service Animal: 1. If the animal is out of control and the handler does not take effective action to control it. 2. If the animal is not housebroken. 3. If the presence of the animal would fundamentally alter the nature of the goods/services (rare in restaurants). Even if the animal is removed for one of the reasons above, the person must still be allowed to stay and receive service. What Restaurants Cannot Do: * Refuse service because someone has a service animal. * Ask the person to leave because another customer is afraid of or allergic to dogs. * Treat the person differently (e.g., isolate them or offer lesser service). ‍ Important Notes: * Emotional support animals are not considered service animals under the ADA and do not have the same rights in restaurants. * Some states or local laws may expand protections, but they cannot reduce ADA protections. read more

I asked for recs on social media the other day for a family restaurant on Hatteras Island and heard about the Sandbar and Grill, Mad Crabber, Oceana Bistro, Hatteras Sol and Diamond Shoal restaurants. Mad Crabber was a 45 minute wait and Sandbar was 90 minutes on a Wednesday!! And nothing takes rezzies. We're visiting from the DC area so are no strangers to a wait, but yikes. The frustration from my four year old was palpable. Enter Pop's. We wanted oysters so we popped in. Everything was DELISH!! The oysters. crabcake. blackened tuna bites. blackened trigger fish platter. heck, even my three blue point IPAs were a win. The service was nice but slow and inattentive and the location does seem divey. But ignore all that and go for it. You're welcome!! read more

Pop's Raw Bar & Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Buxton, North Carolina

Ordered for take out Apps, peel & eat shrimp, onion rings and clam strips- EXCELLENT! Dinners (my order) blackened fish sandwich was huge and delicious Also ordered hamburgers, shrimp sandwich, oyster sandwich, fried shrimp & crab cake dinner Everyone LOVED their order I was amazed the complete order was 100% accurate Must try their cocktail sauce ...yum ...has to be homemade Have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the quality & quality of food... A + read more

PBR's were $3. Steamed shrimp was $18 a pound. We ate about five pounds of shrimp plus hushpuppies and fried pickles. We weren't in a hurry, which is good. It's better to take your time with seafood, and sometimes fish stories take a while to tell. Tropical Storm Debbie had been churning up the water and spitting rain for a few days so we had to eat inside. Plenty nice and lots of atmosphere, but If I can, and if there is any kind of breeze, I prefer to eat outside to watch cars rolling up and down 12. The Boatyard is across the road, and I think it's best to eat shrimp in a place where you can see boats. I've never had a bad meal at Pop's. Sometimes it's pretty good, sometimes it's fantastic. Maybe it depends on how hungry I got watching fishing lines or running through the surf with the kids. Maybe it depends on when the shrimp boats came in. I would recommend a few things: Shrimp, trigger fish, etc. I'd stay away from things that aren't local - still tasty, but nothing as special as the fresh stuff when they've got it. Also, I like the fried pickles, also the Onion Rings. I like the cocktail sauce with the extra horseradish. I would recommend not being in a hurry and not expecting white tablecloths or brown noses. This is a Buxton bar that can be loud. It can take a bit for the very busy staff to bring you your food. It's not fancy. It's an unpretentious bar that had $3 PBR's and very good steamed shrimp. If that's not what you want, go somewhere else. Please. read more

I got raw oysters and a basket of fries. The oysters were fresh but ridiculously small. Whoever chock them left some shell in every one of them - had to sift through. And for a tourist price of $23.99 a dozen this wasn't a satisfying experience. Fries were good though. The service was minimal and not particularly friendly. No greeting upon arrival and no goodbye when I left. I felt completely "transparent" to the staff. The place is a shack with a large bar in the center of the room, a few tables on 2 sides and a couple of big screens playing sports. Nothing exceptional. Overall, this place was disappointing on pretty much all fronts. Like in many touristic area, if you are not local, the businesses see you as a walking wallet. read more

We have been passing this place for the past 10 years and finally decided to give it a try. Definitely should have done this before! Everyone enjoyed their food, the prices were surprisingly low, and even with one person serving the whole room, she was quick and friendly. This is definitely a no frills "dive bar" atmosphere, but don't let that deter you from trying it out. I had the steamed scallops and hatteras style clam chowder, both delicious! Washed down with a cold yuengling, it was a perfect midday meal. read more

Wow, I have no idea what has happened to this place. It's been five years since I've been in here but the whole atmosphere just feels different. It looks like all new staff and someone mentioned that the old man had passed away. But anyhow, the woman who was bartending really had no interest in customer service. We have gotten the Pop's platter in years past and never had any issues substituting the crawdads out for more shrimp or scallops. Before it was never a big deal. This time, though? Absolutely no substitutions. So you're going to force me to purchase a $60 meal for two and then either make me eat something I don't like or just pay the same get less. That was literally the option they gave us. So if you're a finance major, you tell me if selling $120 for two Pops platters makes more sense than selling 1 pound of steam shrimp and two sides for $30? We decided we would only get the shrimp there and go somewhere else for the rest of our dinner. On top of that, the large square bar that usually was packed had almost no one in there. The food was still pretty good, but the cold hush puppies that came out were unforgivable. Hate to say it, but I will not be back again. It sucks because this place used to be great. read more

I have stayed in Buxton for 2 weeks. I have tried a few other places in the area, but due to very expensive prices and rude service, I have returned too Pops for at least 7 meals. It is the best place around. Great food, service and atmosphere. I was treated like a local. Very respectable!!!! Highly recommended! read more

Best place ever will always come back when we visit again. Fresh seafood and cold beers

We ordered take out seafood and it was very tasty. This place is more bar than restaurant but great for take out. Felt like it would be to noisy for family dining. read more

Food is decent, but if you are looking for take out for a larger party, don't bother. This establishment is NOT willing to cook for a large party and some of the service staff was not AT ALL accommodating (however, owners daughter was a sweetheart)! Save your money and try some place different. read more