A hidden gem in Kitty Hawk! The Rundown Cafe has been a Kitty Hawk staple for years, but their recent renovations have really brought it to life with a fresh, updated coastal charm. Located right across the street from the Hilton Garden Inn, it's an absolute gem. Whether you want to sit in the climate-controlled inside or head to the upper deck to enjoy the weather with your dog, they've got you covered! The Service: Top-notch. Katie gave us a warm welcome, and Lisa took amazing, attentive care of us. The Food: Outstanding! We loved the Shrimp Dinner, Coconut Shrimp, classic Fish and Chips, and the phenomenal Soft Shell Crab Tacos. Don't skip the Oreo cheesecake for dessert! It's a shame we only found it on our last day of vacation, but it will be our very first stop next time we're in the Outer Banks. Highly recommend! read more

This has become our local favorite for the outside views of the ocean and vibes. The drinks and food add to the atmosphere. Our favorite is the Sesame Noodle bowl. It's served chilled with Asian flavors and your choice of protein. Seared tuna is his favorite and shrimp is mine. Haven't had a bad dish here yet! We will be back! read more

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The updated vibe is esthetically pleasing. Food is as delicious as it's always been! Sesame noodle bowl is my go-to. read more

Rundown Cafe - Sesame noodle bowl with grilled shrimp (sans mandarin oranges) - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

This is very cute place! The decor is really authentic and the food was good as well as the service. I ordered the crab cake sandwich which was good and my husband got the fish and chips and let me tell you that his was a 10/10 I would come back to get that everytime. I wish I had taken a picture tho. read more

Rundown Cafe - Crab cake sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

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We sat upstairs on the open deck on a warm autumn day. The waitress was patient as we questioned the menu options and returned when we finally decided. She ordered the drink special which ended up being very sweet so she settle for a gin and soda and I had a nice spicy Bloody Mary. She ordered the jerk burger medium rare and I ordered the coconut chicken. The burger came out overcooked and was returned, the second burger came out just as overcooked and the jerk sauce was overly sweet. The fries are very good. The Coconut chicken on the other hand was amazing. Not only was the chicken moist all the way through, the crusted coconut on the outside was flavorful, the chicken had a wonderful coconut flavor all the way through. For the end she had Key Lime pie that she enjoyed and I had an extraordinary slice of cinnamon roll cheese cake read more

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We couldn't wait to see the renovations. So glad we went to the bar to have drinks and hors d'oeuvres. The service and staff are as awesome as they have always been. The thing we missed the most is the mural on the wall in the bar. Everything is so vanilla now. They need to add a little bit of color back to the walls. read more

Rundown Cafe - This is the wall where the mural used to be. Please bring it back! - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

I came back here for another sit-down meal. I had the Hawaiian mahi sandwich. It also came with a side of fries, which came out hot and seasoned nicely. There was a nice crisp to them too. The sandwich had a blackened mahi loin on a brioche bun with lettuce, tomato, grilled pineapple, and a Cajun tartar sauce. This was well put together. The ratio of filing to bun was ideal. The piece of mahi was seasoned appropriately and was a nice size. The pineapple added a little sweetness to it. I was expecting more from the tartar sauce, but not a big deal as I enjoyed the sandwich as a whole. I also tried the rundown fish burrito which had grilled ahi tuna, tomatoes, cheddar jack cheese, black beans, jalapenos, and BBQ sauce. I was hesitant to try this because of the presence of the BBQ sauce, but it was not really tasted because of the rest of the flavors incorporated. The fresh jalapenos on the half I tried were extremely spicy. Besides that, it was well received. read more

Rundown Cafe - Hawaiian Mahi Sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

We were pleasantly surprised by the menus and food. Their waffles are some of the best I've ever had. Crispy outside and tender in the inside. The over medium eggs were right on. read more

Once again a great experience at Rundown. I'll admit at first I wasn't to thrilled with the upgrade, I loved the old vibe, but the food is as great as ever and the staff is still top notch. I'm a local and Rundown is still my go to anytime of the year. read more

Service was great and food was amazing! Had the chicken tacos and they were excellent! Hushpuppies tasty! We would definitely eat there again! read more

Solid choice for dinner - hubs had wings and fries, the fries were great! I had the Ahi Tuna sandwich it was tasty but a bit over cooked for my liking. I also had a side salad that was meh bagged lettuce and some was a bit past wilted - I decided not to chance it and left it. Service was great though! read more

Friendly staff, nice views from the Hula deck upstairs and food wasn't good. The homemade chicken noodle soup hit the spot on tonight's windy deck. read more

This is a re-review based on a recent visit. I brought my guests here for a light lunch. My wife and I usually eat here and the food is usually good. This last visit fell short of my expectations. I brought 5 old friends here to enjoy a nearby lunch. Light lunch was our intention. We ordered beers and they were fine. Food was not fresh. I had a. Arafat salad that was served with "soggy" croutons. Not sure how this could happen unless the salad fixings w ere preserved and refrigerated. The others ordered light meals such as the tuna bites and the tacos. Nothing memorable. Hope this was just an "off day" read more

Rundown Cafe - Burger and fries - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

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We stopped here for lunch after visiting the town of Duck, home of Duck Donuts. Not sure what to expect, but we enjoyed the entrees offered. Although the menu is somewhat limited to the selections, all of our dishes were well prepared and presented. The interior was decorated with a island theme. There are two main seating areas, ground level and an upper level. Like other popular establishments in Outer Banks area, it can get crowded during peak lunch and dinner hours. You may want to visit outside the normal peak hours. read more

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The Rundown has been our favorite place to eat on the Outer Banks. Recent renovations are not totally on the mark, like the small round tables upstairs. The branding has changed enough to make the place an entirely different one from the beach cafe we've eaten at for 30 years. Most disappointing is that our old favorites are not on the menu any more. We ate there recently and the only thing on offer that remotely appealed to me was an appetizer, which was subpar. We didn't like the craft beer selection, and nothing else was available on draft. Unfortunately, we won't be returning. read more

We weren't expecting it to be so nice based on pics online but the restaurant was recently redone and is SUPER cute. We were pretty impressed with the hush puppies and mahi sandwich, and the drinks were yummy. Our server, Maria (I believe) was attentive and fun with great recommendations. If you're ever in Kitty Hawk and needing a date night dinner or drinks with friends, this is a great place. read more

Our lunch was good but nothing amazing to write home about - they have gluten free buns which is a plus but fries aren't GF. Staff was polite and helpful. read more

We were in the mood for seafood and Rundown Cafe had high reviews. We came here early afternoon, it was not busy at all. Our server was friendly and attentive to our table. The ambiance is a chill spot and ironically isn't 'rundown.' At the time of our visit their rooftop deck/patio was under renovation. The food we got was exactly what we were looking for. It was delicious! The crab cake burger was so good. They serve their dishes with a chipotle tartar sauce and its boss! Overall this place was a total win and we'd come back in the future! read more

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A Kitty Hawk Beach classic... decent food, good prices, and quick service. The noise level in the restaurant itself was very overwhelming, but there was live music on the porch although it was too hot to sit there. I got the sesame noodle bowl with Ahi tuna, and it was delicious, although a little expensive given the quality of the ingredients. I would recommend this for families and large groups looking for a quick service restaurant with a nice vibe. The wait can be long at times due to its popularity, so be prepared if you are coming on a busy day. read more

Food was delicious. I had the shrimp tacos. There are lots of shrimp on the three tacos. The coleslaw and avocado added great taste and texture. My husband had the mahi blackened sandwich. We would both order the same again. Our waiter was friendly and attentive. The only issue was that it was ridiculously cold in the restaurant. It was 58 outside but was probably 55 or less inside. Maybe the goal is to sell their sweatshirts. read more

Rundown Cafe - Shrimp tacos - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

Just went back in after their new renovation and it is beautiful! We ate upstairs and watched a storm roll in over the ocean. Simone, the bartender, was wonderful. Outstanding service and the drinks were excellent! Also had the tuna tartare and fish and chips and both were lovely. Will be one of my new spots for sure. read more

Adorable, no frills restaurant. It was raining when we went so we sat inside. The fried chicken dinner was delicious. It came with cornbread (yummy), mashed potatoes and veggies. The soft shell crab sandwich was excellent, as well. FF were very good and hot! You have to try the orange crush cocktail. They have a large Koi pond. Bring quarters to buy fish food! Great meal, friendly service and good atmosphere. 3 drinks plus food..$66.00. Can't beat it. read more

This was our first lunch stop on our trip to the OBX and it was pretty good! We started off with the chips, salsa and queso. Chips and queso were delicious but the salsa tasted off to us. We mentioned it to our server and she was kind enough to bring us an extra queso for us! We ordered the fried shrimp tacos and they were fresh and crispy. The black beans were good and the rice was okay. Could have been cooked more. Our server was kind and attentive. We were here for a late lunch and it was not overly busy for a Monday in August. read more

Rundown Cafe - Chips queso and salsa - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

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I would give the service 5 stars our server was great and freindly and very attentive. There was 4 of us and only 1 of 4 seemed to be pleased with the food. I can only speak for what I had....... I had a burger that was supposed to be medium rare, I received an extremely overcooked dry burger.....cole slaw was good...but overall I would give them a second chance.....but not anytime soon. read more

We've been eating there off and on for over 20 years, and we still love it. Apparently under new management in the past couple of years, but still has the same low key OBX vibe. And the koi pond, which young kids just love. Our most recent two visits were very different: a sunny, warm day on the Hula Deck (served by Amanda), and a rainy, miserable day inside (served by Kristin). Early May so not busy. The food on both visits was outstanding, and the servers very friendly and efficient. (We highly recommend the Blackened Tuna Nachos, one of the best dishes we've ever had.) read more

Rundown Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

With a name like 'rundown cafe', I was not sure what to expect. But at 3;30pm on a Saturday, this place was packed. (Mostly with people drinking) and it was loud. Everyone was having a good time. I don't drink, but if I did I would come here. So got a burger with a gluten free bun because I am celiac. It was ok. I would probably not get it again. It was ok. I was told the wings were ok but that person would not get them again. The staff was very accommodating of getting something gluten free. I appreciated it. read more

Went with my mom and 3 sisters at 6pm on a Saturday night. We sat inside but the top deck looks magnificent! Burgers- amazing. Servers- amazing. Rundown cafe- amazing. If you are on OBX you should definitely come here. It really captures the essence (especially for myself as a tourist). Coleslaw is so good!! Radical Unmatched No other Delicious On top Winning Notorious Cunning Ambiance Fruitful Evening read more

Rundown Cafe - inside area - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

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We had a pleasant experience! We had a late lunch/early dinner so the place was calm and not busy. The food was very good and our family enjoyed our meal and family time. read more

We enjoyed our trip to Rundown Cafe. We sat outside up top with a nice view of the street and the ocean. I enjoyed the blackened tuna bites and the mahi tacos. The staff were friendly and we had a good experience. read more

The name gives the clue- this place was a complete let-down. I cannot understand the positive reviews. The hostess's were a little too laid back - didn't have any sense of urgency or welcoming demeanor. Our server seemed to be overwhelmed (& there weren't many people there). Server took 20min to take our drink order (at which time we asked if we could place our order). The food was awful! The fried clams were disappointing, the hush puppies were so hard I couldn't eat them . My husband's meal was no better. After finishing (as much as we could tolerate) we waited for at least 30 min to get our check - the server never checked on us during our meal and never came with the check- we finally went to the bar to get it. We do not recommend this place and will not be returning. read more

We stopped on a Friday evening around 9pm. Most places in the area were closing so we chose this place because they would be open a little later. We got the chips and salsa. This was definitely a cheaper premade salsa. It was a lesser value than a Tostitos salsa from the grocery store and the queso was not good either. The fish and chips were over cooked and chewy. The fish tacos were also. The restaurant was very clean , the fish in the pond out front were very cool and the kids loved feeding them with the food they have for purchase. The server was very nice and attentive. Overall not the best food. But the cleanliness and service were great. read more

Host/ess can great with a smile. Would be nice not to be seated under a dripping ac duct when all other tables are available. Take orders as people are seated (our party of had to wait 10 min. & a 3 person party came after we sat down and were helped before us & had their drinks before us). Made us feel pretty irritated. Food was overpriced for the taste and the poor service. Will not go back. read more

This was our first time there, got there right when they opened, was seated right away, host and waitress were both very kind. We really enjoyed our lunch. Very clean and cool environment. read more

Our first night in OBX, we wound up here. We went with the outdoor seating which is upstairs and with limited ocean views which made for an awesome dining atmosphere. Service was exceptional. The woman that helped us was great and completely on her game. I started with the clam chowder which was very good. The table shared the wings and loaded fries which both were equally as good. For dinner, I went with the surf and turf stir fry which didn't disappoint. The steak was tender and the shrimp and steak was plentiful. Mixed veggies were perfectly cooked with a little crisp how I like it. Came with chop sticks which I opted to use but you do have an option to use a fork which is already on the table as well. My son went with the grilled chicken sandwich with cheese and bacon. That must've been good since he devoted devoured it and my wife had the grilled chicken dinner. We somehow saved from for dessert. I went with the pineapple upside down cake and my wife and son shared the molten lava cake. Both were excellent. Pineapple upside down cake had a hint of rum in it which is just what I needed after a long drive. Great atmosphere and good food. A definite stop while in Kitty Hawk. read more

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this is my first time in this restaurant and it was the absolute best experience I've ever had. We curated walked in and it was a special greeting ...We actually had a server that used to work there and was in town on a trip that served us. His name was Mikey and he was the absolute amazing server ever that I have had and as well as the hostess, and how fast we were greeted! Our server was fast and prompt with getting our drinks out,appetizer, and food, and made sure we didn't run out of drinks and just made our experience amazing! The ambiance of this place was out of this world...I'm also a local I've lived here for two years. I've just never had the time to go to run down until today and I will definitely be back and make the time to go back. read more

Rundown Cafe - Definitely recommend tuna bites. They are out of this world. - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

We came in with a group of 9 for lunch. Two other tables were seated before us, so it didn't seem overly busy. Most of our food came out in a reasonable time, but 3 kids' meal burgers were missing. By the time everyone else at our table had finished eating, only two of the three burgers had arrived--one of which was cold and still pink in the middle. The third burger never showed up and was eventually cancelled because of how long it was taking. This really put a damper on the experience, especially the waitress making strange comments like "getting no kisses" because someone wanted raw onions added on their burger . I'm Disappointed with the lack of coordination and attention to quality. Hope they can get their timing and kitchen consistency figured out. read more

Back again. Erin was our server and was on it big time. The Blacken Tuna bites were very good. The caesar salad was perfect! Blacken chicken tacos (3) delightful. Sat upstairs this time. Great views and cozy atmosphere. Love this place. Discovered it end of last year. Will always include Rundown in our travels!! Ya'll need koozies!!! read more

Service is fun & friendly, and the seafood chowder is AMAZING! I'd come back everyday for this dish if I could. Fish and chips were a standout as well. read more

Well.... first off the name of this place is pretty uninviting, but comically we gave this place a try. The ambiance was lackluster and so was the service. The hostess station was a hang-out for her friends as we waited a few moments to be acknowledged to be seated. I tried a mojito and wasn't expecting much as the waiter seemed confused when I ordered it. It came out kinda watered down. I ordered the Jerk burger, but they were out of jerk sauce. So I ordered the Cali. It was actually pretty tasty. The beef was cooked perfectly and the roll was fresh. The beach fries were pretty good too. Parking was adequate. read more

One of our favorite spots in OBX. Weekend Bloody Mary's are incredible. Ours was a BLT slider. We sat at the downstairs bar and Crystal was amazing!!! Great service and drinks. A must visit! read more

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