We did Red Drum for lunch while staying in Nagshead in route to a vacation in Corolla. We asked for outdoor seating as we just got into the Outer Banks. The indoor seating is much nicer than the outdoor. The outdoor is really a view of the road. Our server did a great job taking care of us and was attentive filling our drinks several times. We ate fried shrimp, and Mahi sandwich, and wings. Everything tasted pretty good. This is a nice little spot. There are tons more options in Nagshead as compared to a beach like Corolla. read more

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Picked this place randomly, and it was GREAT! We had a great waitress (Evia). If we needed something she was on it. BONUS, she also had a very great personality!!!! The food was delicious. The chowder was awesome! Husband had the blackened prime rib sandwich and he said it was very tasty and it was also big enough to split with someone. I also had the shrimp Mac-n-cheese minus a couple of things and it was also delicious. The restaurant looked like it was a new building or newly renovated but it was very clean and it had very nice vibe. It also had a few local beers that were unique. I would definitely go back!!!! read more

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One of my favorite places to eat lunch over the years, tho has been several years since visiting. Place seems newly updated, looks great and keeps the same appeal. Lots of local beer options, server Brian was excellent. Also watched him make 4 drinks in about 1 min. Had Fries & local beer, both awesome. Best fries of 3 places we visited. Had plans so did not eat a meal, but definitely would have. Glad to see this long standing staple on prime beach road is still making great food. read more

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I came for the black pepper encrusted tuna the Tuesday special we saw it online and had to try it . I ordered rare and it can out perfectly cooked. The black pepper was initially a lot but it grew on me. The meal included a very tasty sauce that complimented the tuna nicely. The fresh vegetables were perfectly cooked and seasoned. The mashed potatoes were a little dry but the meal overall was great. We love coming here every year because the menu if full of options that are well down and the service is friendly. read more

Red Drum Tap House - American Near Me - Nags Head, North Carolina

We had the usual salad with salmon and our friends had a burger and fish & chips. We go there often because of its proximity. Food and service are consistently good. Absolutely love the pool table! read more

We sat down quickly but the servers each had a lot of tables to wait, it took a while to order, get our food (which didn't all come together or even close to together), waited on the bill and the credit card to come back; we ate a variety of foods, 3 of us got seafood and the rest got traditional Americana meals, all were good & satisfied us; we would go again maybe a little earlier than 5. read more

Red Drum Tap House - Exterior - American Near Me - Nags Head, North Carolina

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We are occasional diners at Red Drum Grill. This time we were attracted by the Friday Fish and Chips special during the off-season. The fish was accompanied by fries and coleslaw. The fish was hot, fresh and flavorful. It was flounder and is mild. This is fish for those who don't like strong fish. The portions for lunch are not huge so we were able to avoid leftovers. We both felt the slaw (clear dressing style) was improved over previous visits. I don't know if that represents a change or if it is just variability. In the past it has been flat, but this time it had backbone. I still like to sprinkle on some Texas Pete as I do with my fish. We had a nice lunch. I am adding a star for the improvement in the slaw. read more

Off season but still worth the visit! Reuben sandwich for me and a Greek salad with chicken for the wife. Bartender was really nice. Took good care of us while we were there read more

Red Drum Tap House - Reuben! Yum - American Near Me - Nags Head, North Carolina

Ordered dinner for pick-up, they gave us an estimated pick up time of 30 minutes and it was ready in 10, so super quick service. We had the catch of the day burrito and the blue burger- both of which were delicious! Very happy with our meal after a long drive to the beach. read more

Red Drum Tap House - Catch of the day Burrito - American Near Me - Nags Head, North Carolina

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The vibe inside is really fun. Decor was cute and there was a pool table and foosball table. Server was nice and left us to enjoy our meal checking in periodically. Painkillers drinks were good. Barrel dip was amazing. Red drum sandwich was good and I enjoyed it but not a stand out. read more

Red Drum Tap House - Oysters - American Near Me - Nags Head, North Carolina

Ordered food here today on my first day in town for vacation. I got the steak and fries, the clam chowder, and the calamari. It all needed a bit of salt but other than that it was amazing food. My fries were crispy and well cooked my steak was incredibly juicy and flavorful and the calamari was fried well and very tasty. The clam chowder was a style I'd never tried before and I was surprised how good it was. All in all a great meal. read more

Repeat offenders: we have been here more than once. Always good food and service. I especially like the fish and chips from here, fish is not so battered that it's just breading. read more

Excellent service, great food, and realllly good drinks! The calamari was fresh and was really good. The mahi salad was excellent - highly recommend if it is on special when you go. Fun ambiance with a bar feel, but still great for families. read more

Stopped here while waiting to check in to our home away from home. Surprisingly, it was not packed. We were seated right away. Our server came to take our drink order immediately. She was very attentive and kept our drinks filled. Food came out quickly, was hot and delicious! Very glad we stopped! read more

We ordered food Togo so can't speak to the restaurants atmosphere but the food was great. The blackened tuna sandwich was amazing. Huge peice of tuna on a brioche bun. The Hatteras chowder was decent. It had a ton of clams and flavor. I do prefer the cream based version to the brothy like the Hatteras style. But just a personal preference and when your in the outer banks you have to try the Hatteras style. read more

Red Drum Tap House - Blackened Tuna sandwich - American Near Me - Nags Head, North Carolina

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We were visiting from California. We ate here 2 days in a row! Great bartender, Jay, was friendly, fast and very entertaining. All good food and atmosphere. Definitely check it out! read more

Food and service were fine! Did feel like we were rushed a little but over all ok - we had the wings, shrimp scampi, chicken tenders, and the chicken sandwich- read more

We went there and they told us it would be a 30-40 minutes so after waiting 50 minutes we went up to ask how much longer and they said 35-40 minutes more so we left they have no idea what they are doing and a couple other couple left also cause they told them the same thing read more

Wow. We just arrived on vacation, escaping the daily toil of the endless need for government services in the Washington D.C. area. Tired of the work, work, work, we took off this morning after making quick and lucky reservations. We drove non stop, 4.5 hours, with, you guessed it, two very spoiled children. Sassy and Mellow. Yes, our cats. Our day ended by randomly looking for somewhere to eat, without any research. We saw the Red Drum Taphouse and I knew, for me, this would work. Not only was my steamed shrimp amazing, so were the two young ladies that were preparing, serving, bartending, and cooking. Reena and "sounds like" Yayna, were so fun. Were back out our hotel on the beach, and could not be happier. Thanks Ladies for making our road trip a happy ending. Mickey and Tee read more

Red Drum Tap House - American Near Me - Nags Head, North Carolina

Food very greasy. Especially the tuna. Chicken breast was rubber. Server messed up order. Not a good experience. Wouldn't go back and not worth the price. read more

For a restaurant in Nags Head, OBX, Red Drum Tap House was not a bad selection. However, it was definitely on the $$$$ side. Fried Calamari Appetizer was lightly battered and quite refreshing. It came with a sweet and tangy like dipping sauce that gave the dish a more "tropical/summer" feel. Great for 3. Shrimp Jambalaya - definitely a meal that can be shared. There were generous pieces of shrimp and andouille sausage. Very flavorful with a little bit of a kick. However, towards the end, I felt like the meal itself was a bit too acidic with the tomatoes. Overall, a very flavorful dish and definitely will get your stomach feeling full and satisfied. 1lb Snow Crab Legs - not bad, but a bit over priced for market pricing. It was a little bit on the saltier side, but overall very good. read more

Red Drum Tap House - Jambalaya - American Near Me - Nags Head, North Carolina

While on vacation in Nagshead we came across Red drum Tap House. I am so glad we decided to eat there.. my husband and I shared the calamari. It was cooked to perfection. You could tell the oil was clean. Then we had the seafood platter shrimp, oysters and flounder. Delicious. Service was good. They were very attentive. I would definitely go back next year. read more

We stopped here for dinner while waiting to check in to our beach house rental. It was not far from the house, rated well, and not super crowded like some of the other places along this strip of VA Dare. The food was decent. I got a tuna sandwich which was tasty but unfortunately the toppings ended up sliding all over and the whole thing fell apart before I was even half way through it. Everyone else was satisfied with their meals as well. The manager/hostess was very kind and let one person in our party order the special from the prior day, which was not a regular menu item. read more

Service was awful. I am a good tipper and could not tip this lady well. She acted as if it was a chore to serve us. First impression is the one and she did not impress. Ran out of coke and tea. Now for the food. The food was tasty but my peel and eat steamed shrimp was over cooked and the shells did not come off like they were supposed too. I had been wanting to come eat here for years since it's a "staple" but doubt I'll return. Plenty of places with better service and know how to steam shrimp. Too bad! 3 stars for the other servers that had their tables taken care of and the flavor! read more

Ok so we are here for a couple of disconnect days. We needed to eat so we chose this place. First off our server Maddie was the best. Her attitude personality and ability to know the menu was great. My wife ordered a cocktail it was huge and delicious. I ordered an scrimshaw (Maddies suggestion). It was very tasty. My wife ordered the blackened mahi-mahi special. Wow it was awesome. Hats off to the chef, full of flavor and spice. I ordered the flounder fish and chips. All locally caught. And light and delicious. Maddie made the night for us. The food was great and the service was better. read more

Red Drum Tap House - Mahi-mahi special - American Near Me - Nags Head, North Carolina

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The food was very good - - the wings as an appetizer in particular had a really nice crispy texture and were delicious. For dinner, I had the house salad with blackened chicken was very good. My husband had the fish and chips and said those were good as well. The atmosphere is good - there were quite a few families eating there, so good environment for adults and families. The 3 stars are due to (1) the really long wait for our food, both appetizer and dinner (a table of 4 (we were 2) were seated served and left before we received our dinner); and (2) the service was not great. The server did not check on us, let us know what was going on with the food order, nor did she come back to check on us once we received our meals, so those two were pretty significant concerns in our view. We may go back - undecided at this point. But for these two concerns, would have been 5 stars. read more

Bottom Line: A casual local grill and bar with tasty seafood and a good draft beer list. What I like about Red Drum Grille and Taphouse is that it is casual and comfortable. The interior is dated but I find it charming for some reason. And the staff is always friendly. I feel like this is one of those places that are great for tourists and locals alike. The food at Red Drum is fresh and delicious and the menu largely consists of seafood and southern favorites but you'll find bar favorites too like nachos and wings. I tend to order specials a lot so on my most recent visit I had the fried mahi mahi sandwich. It was a huge portion of fish and very tasty. My husband had the Hatteras style clam chowder and said its among the best he's ever had! I like that Red Drum has healthier menu items like salads, steamed shrimp and veggies, etc. . . . but let's be honest, I seem to always ordered something fried when at Red Drum whether it be fish and chips, calamari or a fried fish sandwich! Red Drum has the reputation for being one of the better spots on the beach for craft beer. I didn't partake on my most recent visit but I sure did check out what they were pouring from their 18 taps and it was a solid collection. They had seasonal beers like Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale and year-round favorites like Bells Two Hearted Ale, Heavy Seas TropiCannon and Lost Colony Blonde Ale. I also checked out the pool table and foosball on the other side of the restaurant. I forgot those game tables were there. All of this talk about beer and game tables makes this sound like a wild place, and maybe it is late night, but during the day its definitely family friendly. Red Drum has a great central location on the "beach road" in Nags Head just a tad south of the 10 MP. read more

Red Drum Tap House - Fried mahi mahi sandwich. A huge portion of fish - you can't even see the roll. - American Near Me - Nags Head, North Carolina

Whenever we come to OBX we always stop at the Red Drum for dinner. Great food, and awesome service. Very casual atmosphere. Great draft beer choices. read more

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We arrived at 11:30 today for lunch with a party of 8 - no problem! We were seated right away. Four of us had the buttermilk chicken tenders, and a couple of us had salads. I requested blue cheese dressing with my salad, both the salad and the dressing were outstanding!! I was really impressed with the very generous size of my small salad. Our server said the chicken is fresh and breaded there. It was delicious. Very casual and relaxed atmosphere here. read more

Red Drum Tap House - Chicken tenders and fries - American Near Me - Nags Head, North Carolina

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Our favorite meal in the outer banks... we went back a second time before we left. Peel and eat shrimp were amazing. Not your typical old bay seasoning. They own spices were top notch! read more

Late Saturday lunch. First time here, atmosphere is fun and casual, seating good, service very good. I ordered the chicken quesadilla, it was served with rice on the side, sour cream and salsa piled on top. The quesadilla was loaded with cheese and chunky chicken, it didn't have much flavor, I didn't care for it. My friend had the mahi mahi grilled sandwich with fries underneath. She loved it, great thick bread and grilled nicely. I would try again for maybe appetizers and drinks or something different off the menu. In season I'm sure they wait to get in. I'd give a try and see for yourself. read more

Red Drum Tap House - Chicken Quesadillas - American Near Me - Nags Head, North Carolina

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Shall we laugh at the size of the steamed shrimp...YES! If you want steamed shrimp go elsewhere. The burgers were good. Decent place to go. Flies, yes. Waitress was fantastic. read more

Great food, good conversation,set up really cool for Xmas. New owners very nice,bar maid very cool. Will be back soon.

In the midst of the Covid pandemic we were looking for a place where we could eat outside. We drove past this restaurant and decided to come back in a couple of hours. We had no problem getting outdoor seating and the service was very quick. Both of us wanted local seafood so my wife had fried oysters and I had the fish and chips which featured a local he caught a flounder. Kind of unusual! Both dishes were very good with enormous portions. I also had The Hatteras plan chowder. That soup was average, but the fish and chips more than made up for it. They have a very good selection of beers, including many local craft ones. The wine selection was a little limited, but who goes to Beach pub for wine? The price was about right and was in line with what you would expect. I would definitely recommend this place and definitely go back again! read more

Red Drum Tap House - Fried Oysters - American Near Me - Nags Head, North Carolina

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Not exactly what I was ex0ecring; very loud kind of messy. Got the house salad, tasted fresh and good ranch dressing. I also got the crab legs they were overdone and tasteless; my wife got the Mahi special of the night..... it lacked seasoning and no flavor. The service was ok and they did seem short staffed. I always wanted to try this restaraunt I can now scratch off the list. I may try one more ti.e but doubtful. read more

Everything was great until the waitress followed me out to my truck. She loudly and rudely accused me of not leaving a tip and asked why in front of all my family and other customers. When I told her to check the receipt and that I added $20 to the total, she apologized and went back. She is lucky I didn't go back in and rip up my receipt. I will never go back! read more

6/23/20 Upon entering this restaurant,  I saw the pool room was closed. It would have been nice to play some pool, but this wasn't an option. There is a bar to the far left of the restaurant. The drink choices of alcohol are endless.  Sadly, I have very little tolerance for alcohol...unless its Mike's Hard Lime,  Watermelon or Lemonade. There is outdoor seating and the tables look very new. Part of the Coronavirus fight to stay in business.  There wasn't a whole lot of people eating out side at the time we arrived,  but when we left, the place was operating at nearly 100%  Guess you can forget about the 50% rule. Customers equals  money. Money equals paying bills. Paying bills equals staying afloat.  I am happy a number of businesses are now open in the Outer Banks. A dead zone at the beach isn't profitable for anyone. I remember walking by the restaurant on our first day to the Outer Banks. I wondered what it would be like to eat here. My wife thought about how the name reminded her of Steven King's  The Shining.  Maybe the ower thought the same thing and made a slight change in the name.   Since I found out we would be eating here at the Red Drum, I would want to get pictures for my review on the place.  After I finished getting some photos of the restaurant, I noticed a woman I will call Femme Folle. She obviously was the boss if not the owner of the restaurant.  This is after saw her dictating orders to her employees.  This is just how things go; however, getting pissy with us, because two of our party did not show up wasn't appreciated. Its happened two different times.    Our server's name is Tori and she was the opposite of Femme Folle. She had a possibility of servicing six other tables besides us, but was there to get whatever the our party needed. Her positive attitude is something Femme Folle should study and work on.  We did not order dessert, but with the way Femme Folle was acting. The woman truly needs a massage or something.  Anyhow, not sure our party will return here anytime soon, but if we do, hopefully Tori will still be working here. read more

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Called ahead of time asked if we could bring 8 people at 4:30 they said no problem. Then once we got there the waitress told tough shit the place aways empty the new owner doesn't like large party's. We will never come back. Good luck if you choose to eat at this dive. Be prepared to be treated like your they don't want you there! The last owner was great bye the way I have never given a bad review to anyone until now. Red Drum never again!!!! read more

Not super friendly. Order came out wrong. Beer was warm. Place was loud. Food was ok.

I have nothing bad to say about this place. We came here on a Thursday night. There was no wait. The restaurant followed protocol. They offered indoor and outdoor seating which was both very clean. The makeshift patio was cute. The tables were spaced out and there was a fence with string lights which made for a very quaint little area. We started off with drinks. I got some sort of tropical crush which i really enjoyed then continued with vodka cranberries. We ordered habanero wings with ranch for an appetizer. They were basted, meaty, and delicious. It was a good size portion. I ordered the chicken sandwich that came with ham. I didn't think the ham would work, but it definitely did. It was delicious. The fries were the crispy kind I LOVE. My friend ordered the mushroom swiss burger, and there was no complaints there. Our service was great. I will be back! I hope they make the outdoor patio permanent. It was very relaxing. read more

Red Drum Tap House - My drink- Dont remember the name but it was good! - American Near Me - Nags Head, North Carolina

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