This is your average, typical Outer Banks American food place. Food was fairly decent and average.

Great food! The crab cakes were ALL crab-very little filler. The Rundown Chowder is a must-Caribbean like fish chowder with coconut-yum! Calamari appetizer was tender & delicious. Excellent friendly service by Hugo. read more

Sharon was the best! She was so friendly, attentive, & awesome! All of our food was amazing. So much flavor and so many options. So much food!! Do not forget to try the Bushwacker - delicious drink (not for the little ones). We will be back! read more

Food was great! Quick service - Hugo was our server and very attentive. Crab Cake Sandwich and crab and artichoke app. Becky read more

This was the first restaurant we had in OBX. Lemme tell you, it set the bar high. The service was great and food was delicious. We ordered buffalo chicken sandwiches with fries, best in OBX. My son loved the koi pond in the front too. read more

Haven't even eaten yet but the staff here is......THE BEST there is!!! The food is going to be top notch. But that is just a plus to how you are treated when you're here! It's the best place we've been to while on vacation. Highly recommend! read more

Rundown Cafe - Welcome sign. - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

Nice place good food good atmosphere. Food comes out on time service is great nothing to complain about

Rundown has been a thirty year tradition for my wife and I as we first experienced Rundown on our 1992 honeymoon when da joint was housed in an older building on a adjacent lot. My bride passed on earlier this year but our family tradition continues! My son and I stopped by last night and noticed some cosmetic changes to the dining room with new art and paint (we didn't make it last year due to illness) and I like what I saw. It took a few minutes to be seated and there was no line. Hmmm. When we were finally seated our server came by immediately to take our drink order. When drinks were delivered we placed orders for nachos as an appetizer, I ordered the St Martin Pasta and my son ordered to Coco Loco chicken Sammy. Rundown nachos are delightfully different in a healthy sense- no heavy queso but a light white queso sauce instead graced with black beans and other good stuff. My pasta dish had linguine, green onions , shrimp, sun dried tomatoes, chopped tomatoes, chopped bacon with a light oil based sauce. The confluence of flavor was outstanding! And, my sons chicken sandwich with fries was great. Our server even brought him Old Bay when requested. He puts that stuff on almost everything. All in all a great meal as our family OBX tradition continues as we press on. Keep up the good work! read more

Love this place normally but... Advertised $2 key lime pies. Thought that amazing. But who knows. Uh the key lime pies are NOT $2 but $2 a slice when you buy a 10-slice pie. Very misleading. Tsk tsk read more

Rundown Cafe - Clearly says whole key lime pies $2 - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

Such a great place to eat! The staff was very nice and helpful. The art on the walls is beautiful to look at while you eat. I got coconut shrimp and Mahi Mahi Bites. The coconut shrimp has got to be the best coconut shrimp I have had in a very long time!! The Mahi Mahi bites were very filling and delicious! I highly recommend eating here! read more

Rundown Cafe - Coconut Shrimp with Mahi Mahi bites! - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

Had lunch, food was great. We had seafood burrito and Tacos. Service was excellent. Definitely going back.

I used to go to this restaurant when I was younger. I liked the updated design of the restaurant. I ordered the Fish Tacos and they were pretty tasty. I liked the beans but they could have been cooked a little longer. The rice I found to be a little bland. read more

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

See all

Went here today for lunch. Food was incredible. Despite being short staffed Lucas the bar manager was able to get us seated quickly and offered great service. Highly recommend this place for its food and service plus the atmosphere is super relaxed. read more

This place was such a delight to find on our vacation. As a vegetarian there are not many good options for me in OBX but Rundown Cafe has several great vegetarian options! They have a cool set up with downstairs, upstairs, and outdoor seating. I really enjoyed the Asian noodle dish I got and my husband loved his burger as well. It's nothing fancy, but I'm so glad to now have a place in OBX I can go back to when I'm in town. read more

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

Never been here but it be my first stop next time down there. I never had a poke bowl but since it had raw tuna I thought I would give it a try. Tuna was so tender and sweet, yet spices too. I am sure Wasabi was in there somewhere. All the vegetables were fresh and nicely seasoned. I cleaned my bowl. Owner checked on us several times and our wait staff was great. Only her second night but doing a wonderful job. A repeat. I want a Poke bowl somewhere in Richmond but know it will not compare to Rundown Cafe. read more

I love The Rundown Cafe! The drink offerings and my favorite, The Fish Tacos! The location is also excellent, just a short walk from our house! The restaurant has a cool quirky beach feel. The staff is always friendly and so eager to make your dining experience the best it can be! We go regularly and always get one of their famous Bloody Mary's, it's almost a meal in its self. read more

Delicious meal for lunch from a Poke Bowl to Clam strips for a family party of 7. No wait, fast service, high quality meal.

It was Rundown' of course? Can't remember I had. The bartender was sweet. It's North Carolina, so of course it was CHEAP AF! All good, thank you! read more

Great food and service. Location was perfect, on the way to our house. Check it out the next time in town.

This little place was Amazing! Definitely go here! I came in on a Sunday (by recommendation) for "Its Sunday Bloody Sunday " they do a special Bloody Mary on Sundays. Today's Bloody was a Bomber Bloody Mary! Topped with a Spicy Pulled Pork Slider! I also got the Hawaiian Poke Appetizer it was so fresh and beautifully presented! My server was Amanda she was so sweet,Friendly and on top of things this place gets 5 Stars! The rooftop ocean view fills up fast so I had to dine in wish the had more outdoor seating! read more

See all

Stopped in for a later lunch on a Friday afternoon. So very glad we did and we can't wait to go back. Since it isn't quite busy season we had no problems being seated quickly. Our server was named Ram and that day he had the drink special named after him. He was pleasant and laid back in that beach town way. My husband and I opted for several appetizers instead of full entrees. Best decision ever. We started with chips and salsa with a side of guacamole. It was your standard, guacamole was nice and creamy. Then we added the Hawaiian Poke bowl and the Fish Bites. Holy hell, these two plates were so full of flavor. Every bite had us commenting on the taste. We could not leave without dessert and asked for the Key Lime pie...another hit. It wasn't overly sweet or limey, just a nice consistency and the crust was superb. This restaurant was going to close, but the employees banded together to run it. The Outer Banks should be glad they did because it's a great place to eat and drink. Stop in before you check-in to your vacation rental, you'll be glad you did! read more

This is a great spot in the Outer Banks. We ate here 3 times while on vacation. The chicken tacos were excellent, as well as the chowder. Lucas took great care of us each time. The drinks were delicious and the deck is just fun to sit on and enjoy the beautiful sky and scenery. Highly recommend this place! read more

The burgers are amazing along with the wait staff and atmosphere. Everything I've ordered is always fantastic. I live out of state and think about the Rundown Cafe at least once a day! read more

An amazing experience; me and my girlfriend went as a date and had amazing service food was very fresh and great view. 100% recommend.

Love this spot!! Solid menu with interesting selections, upbeat vibe, friendly staff, and biiiig portions. We ordered the CP's dip and steamed veggies to start and tbh that probably would have been enough. It was a lot of food. For my entree I got the Vegetarian Thali (first time ever having something like this), and it was GREAT!!! Everything was super fresh and I loved getting to try different variations of bites. I also had plenty left over for lunch the next day; two meals for the price of one is always nice :) This is def a spot I'll be frequently coming to anytime I'm in the OBX. read more

Rundown Cafe - Vegetarian Thali + side of steamed veggies. - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

We were sadly disappointed with the Rundown Cafe. Half of the staff were as dry as my mother's Cabernet. We ordered wings and the rundown chowder to start. My husband order fried mahi-mahi tacos with beans and rice and I had one of the daily specials, a spicy shrimp noodle bowl. Now, the portions are generous so that was quite a bit of food. Just not good food. We both barley ate anything. But it was enjoyed by a pesky fly that couldn't get enough of it. read more

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

I went here because an old acquaintance worked there (he didn't remember my name). We were there on the last day of the season. Really good service, good sandwiches. I would come back when in season.. read more

Nothing fancy, but food was quick to arrive and very good. It's quite loud, not the cleanest place I've seen but they're very busy because they are one of very few places open on Sunday's! I get it, but it's tourist season, holiday weekend and closed on sundays come on people get with it! Thank you Rundown for being open, and a great server! read more

Superb restaurant! All of the staff were really friendly and always checking in on us. Every plate we ordered was flavorful and well presented. My favorite meal was the fish tacos which included a side of beans, rice and salsa. After your done eating, you can purchase a hand full of koi treats to feed the fish for $0.25. This is one of the best if not the best seafood restaurant in all of Kitty Hawk. read more

See all

Great service, fantastic food, and amazing drinks! Definitely add this place to your must-do list! read more

See all

Good view of the ocean from the top deck. Food was great! Mikey was a really good server with a nice demeanor and attentiveness. Calamari had huge tentacles, fish tacos and burger were delicious, Hawaiian mahi sandwich was well balanced with sweet and spice. Loved our experience! Manager checked in which was a nice touch. read more

Great food - tacos were delicious, nice view, fast service, reasonable prices. Overall, terrific place!

In the past we have found this casual spot to have good food and service. The service was very satisfactory while the food was very disappointing. The fries were ice cold and as greasy as Elvis' head. They don't let you select how you order your hamburger. My wife asked for a well done hamburger and it came out cooked on the outside and still breathing in the inside. When the server picked up up my wife's plate after eating even she was shocked on how undercooked the burger was. read more

Another good experience at Rundown Cafe. Our ten year old ordered Fish and Chips which he loved. The wife enjoyed the coconut shrimp and I the Hawaiian Poke. Both fresh and outstanding. Out Server, "Eliza" was on spot when needed. Excellent service. read more

Excellent food and even better if you can get a tale overlooking the ocean. Thai noodles are wonderful!

I've always loved Rundown Cafe! It's been a favorite of mine for as long as I can remember. We went on Sunday for lunch to indulge in their special Bloody Mary Sunday and it did not disappoint! The Bloody came with a great skewer of 5 steamed shrimp topped with an olive, a gorgeous celery stick, a dill pickle and a seasoned rim. Definitely worth coming in for these fun creations because they definitely don't skimp on the garnishes. As for the meal- we split the coconut shrimp to start and they were deliciously sweet and crunchy. And I got the Thai Lemongrass Warm Noodle Bowl w/ Ahi Tuna and it was great! Very fresh piece of tuna on top of a very flavorful, but spicy broth with a ton of noodles. My one small negative was the bowl it was served in was so small- it was hard to dig in without making a mess. But can't be too mad because that means they're giving you lots of food! On a separate occasion, I got the cold asian sesame noodle bowl to go once and it was very, very good! Get here right when they open otherwise you will definitely have to wait! (But I believe it's worth the wait) Great place for a very casual but delicious meal in the OBX. read more

See all

Waitstaff was friendly and most welcoming. The food came out in a timely manner and was excellent. We just did drinks and appetizers. The drinks we ordered were off the specialty menu, were great! The appetizers we ordered were calamari, nachos and coconut shrimp. So delicious!! read more

Food was good and the service was fast for being so busy. We will definitely visit again.

We absolutely loved our experience at Rundown Cafe! We were looking for a delicious meal in the OBX and this was the perfect place! As per usual for most places, there was a wait which just told us it was going to be amazing (it was)! The great perk about a wait at Rundown is that they have a top deck where you can get a drink and order off the small apps menu! We did just this and went for strawberry daiquiris and the coconut shrimp which were ah-mazing! The shrimp has a delicious taste and hit the spot while waiting for our table! The entire upper deck was buzzing with folks getting drinks, listening to the band that was just starting to play and waiting for their tables! It was a great vibe on a beautiful Outer Banks evening! We were seated within 40 minutes and having already had time to preview the menu, we ordered quickly and the food came out right away! We loved their unique menu which included noodle bowls, lots of different flavors and various dishes that aren't on many menus outside of the beach! I went with the grilled shrimp sesame noodle bowl which is served cold and with the most delicious flavors! No joke, this is the best noodle bowl I've ever had! It was absolutely delicious and huge! I ended up taking half home for "A" to thoroughly enjoy later much to his delight! He went with the coco loco chicken which is coconut covered fried chicken served with salsa, beans and rice! He loved his meal and it was also a huge portion size that we had even more leftovers! We really liked our experience at Rundown and will definitely be back when in town! We highly recommend anyone visiting OBX go by there for a great meal as we know we have found one of our new favorite places! read more

See all

The staff were very nice. The fish bites where good The fish tacos were loaded with shrimp. Good portion. Others in party not so satisfied. Chicken was dry and tough ( rundown ). Burger overcooked and dry. read more