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Rundown Cafe

4.1 (568 reviews)
ModerateSeafood, Caribbean
Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

Rundown Cafe Photos

Business Info

RUNDOWN CAFE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Good for groups
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - Rundown Cafe

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Reviews With Photos

This is the wall where the mural used to be. Please bring it back!
Holly S.

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.

Hawaiian Mahi Sandwich
Dan M.

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.

Burger and fries
Dave U.

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"

Tuna Burrito
Pyro C.

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.

Menu as of March 2024
Rich M.

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!

Shrimp tacos
Mary Lynn J.

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.

Chips queso and salsa
Caroline J.

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.

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.)

inside area

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Ask the Community - Rundown Cafe

Did this place shut down? We stopped by several times end of last week and this past weekend and it was closed (8/26-8/29)?

They're temporarily closed

What time do they switch from lunch menu to dinner? so we'll know which menu to order from for takeout. Are they doing takeout right now?

Lunch specials are available until 3. The regular lunch menu is available until the switch to dinner at 5.

Do they allow dogs?

Back has tables with umbrellas . Our boxer loves the food!

View All 6 Questions

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Food is consistently good. My first time trying this cheesesteak sandwich. Plenty of fresh cut…read moreribeye. I would have liked a cheese wiz but the provolone was very good. I chose coleslaw as my slaw.z it was fresh but could have used more seasoning. Our server was fantastic. He was constantly checking on us and providing instant soda refills. It's nice coming to a popular place in the off season. It's less noise and always easy to get a table.

I simply cannot believe it has been nine years since we lunched at Two Roads. Since that time they…read moremoved to their new location in the former Longboards. I talked Ms T into trying it again. We just can't handle a big lunch and wanted to avoid leftovers, so decided to split a pickle brined chicken sandwich with fries and an extra side of slaw. The sandwich was OK. To start with it needed more seasoning. How about breaking out the black pepper and garlic powder? The meat was uncharacteristically tough/chewy for chicken breast. I suggest they need to be pounding it to tenderize it and then brine it. It was actually hard for us to cut and eat. It really looked nice, but I think I am done with pickle brined chicken. It just never gets enough brine impact. They make good small caliber fries that were piping hot and the slaw was fine for me. Ms T did not care for it so I got it all. Our food was OK, not stellar. The service was excellent, but I still can't make this better than three stars. I hope to convince her to return for a burger during this trip.

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NC coast has a great view of the sound. We were seated quickly upon arrival and discussed dietary…read morerestrictions (pork) with the waiter. He was initially warm and as we ordered, asked that he let us know if we inadvertently selected a dish containing pork. The dishes arrived with astonishing speed. The Caesar salad had some unidentified fried object on it and when I asked the waiter, he let me know it was pork rinds. He did not acknowledge that it was an error and flippantly suggested I remove them. I asked for a plate to put them on. The waiter's demeanor turned cold after this (what I considered innocuous) exchange. Regarding the dishes, everything was beautifully presented and arrived hot and fresh at our table. I would not recommend the fried cauliflower as it was very bland with some chili sauce splashed over top. The scallops were very well prepared however. NC Coast is a nice spot for a special meal, especially with the view. Just hope the service is more consistent with other guests.

Rundown Cafe - seafood - Updated May 2026

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