Truly exceptional!! Run don't walk to this gem--chef owned and operated (and his wife makes the actual best lemon and coconut cream pies on the planet). So much heart in every dish and a lovely ambiance too, it's perfection. Stand out crab gazpacho and lamb with figs and did I mention the desserts? So good they made me a lemon dessert person. read more

Cutest restaurant with a screened in porch and great service. The menu is on the smaller side but has some great options. My partner went with the shrimp and grits. It comes in a tomato based sauce, which I am a big fan of and you don't see as often as the cream sauce. I had the Local Catch, which was tile and came with broccolini over polenta. It was delicious, however the portion was smaller than I expected given the price. Welp, that left me with more room for dessert. The dessert menu is almost as long as the food menu, so get ready to make some tough decisions. After much deliberation, we decided to go "lighter" and had the pineapple spoon cake and coconut cake. So good, and a great ending to the meal. read more

The SaltBox Cafe - Pineapple spoon cake and coconut cake - New American Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

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Good quality reasonably priced food. Brunch on Sundays a must. Service very good. Although a bit of a drive from Corolla, worth the drive.

The best quality food on the OBX. Make sure you call and reserve prior to your trip. The food is phenomenal and unique and service is friendly and personal. I can't wait to come back year after year. read more

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If you are looking for a higher end, scratch cooking restaurant with innovative flavors, this is your place! Here's the deal: The SaltBox Cafe is a smaller restaurant seating approximately 10 parties indoor (plus bar seating); so, reservations are highly recommended no matter the time of day, There is a covered and screened patio with four tables that is first come first served, along with the bar seating. The restaurant offers a full bar and has decent wine list. SaltBox is quaint with a seaside decorative feel inside and out. Service is high touch and servers truly care, making the service a fantastic compliment to the star of the restaurant: the food! SaltBox offers fresh and high quality flavor combinations that will make you want for more even if you are stuffed. The menu is custom and changes periodically. While we were there, the entrees included steak, seafood (including crab cakes that are the best I've had anywhere- absolutely 100% crab), lamb, pork chops and even a unique burger to name a few. What's different here is the unique flavors where marinades or pairings with side dishes and sauces create a culinary taste experience that you will not find at other restaurants. There is something here for everyone and every plate we tried was absolutely delicious. It left us pining for a SaltBox Cafe closer to home. Prices are reasonable given the cuisine with plates ranging from $25-50 for dinner. Wait staff are dressed casual and most patrons are business casual for dinner (casual for dinner is acceptable too but you may feel a bit underdressed), and casual for lunch. Parking is available at the restaurant but limited. They encourage people to car pool if applicable. I highly recommend SaltBox- don't pass this one up. And, don't wait to make a reservation; they fill up quickly! Cheers and happy eating! read more

This is the place to eat on the Outer Banks if you want a great special meal! Unlike many outer banks restaurants, they accept reservations. There is a pleasant outdoor screened in porch for walk in seating. It appears small and non-descript from the road, but the inside is comfortable and pleasantly colorfully decorated with local art. Live guitar music. It feels busy without being loud. You can easily converse. Terrific attentive waitstaff. I was impressed that our waitress recited the many desserts from memory. We had the toasted ciabatta and vegetable spring roll appetizers, tilefish (catch of the day) and pan seared crab cake. All were great. The peppery grilled melon (canteloupe) was a first for me! The Brussels sprouts were crisp and delicious. We shared the carrot cake (with poppy seeds!); more than enough for two. All the desserts are made on site. Out back you can see displayed herbs, and a picturesque water side view. We will definitely return. read more

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Always reliable and a fantastic lunch spot. Portions are fair and delicious! Looking forward to going back for dinner.

Food is very good here. We ordered two salads that were delicious and a semi generous portion. Service was attentive. The only thing I should point out is there is only a small amount of parking spaces. read more

The SaltBox Cafe - Mediterranean salad - New American Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

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Terrific food and service. Vegetarian friendly and a very cozy atmosphere. Highly recommend!

Came here as a recommendation from our bed and breakfast, and this did not disappoint! Reservations go fast as it's a small place, but the bar and outside is open seating. We were told to go right as they open at 5pm to get a seat, and luckily we got the last 2 seats at the bar; however, by the time we left (7 or 7:30-ish), there were several empty seats at the bar and it probably wouldn't have been an issue coming later (unless that's not normal for them?). This was on a Saturday as well. Moving onto the food, we shared the jalapeno popper dip appetizer which came with homemade kettle chips and it was delicious, but it definitely could've been spicier for our palette. My boyfriend had a crabcake for the first time as the waitress highly recommended it. He has nothing to compare it to but he enjoyed it. I was between 2 items and the waitress recommended the arancini entree to me and it was also amazing. I am iffy on gorgonzola sauces because gorgonzola sometimes has a goat cheese taste to it which I don't like, but this didn't give off that nasty taste. I would 1000% eat here again on our next trip to OBX! read more

The SaltBox Cafe - Pan Seared Crab Cake - New American Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

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Everything here is so good. The kids loved the pimento cheese appetizer. The grilled cheese and tomato soup was as good as I've ever had. Had to go back a 2nd time and had the crab cake sandwich...10 out of 10. I loved the sweet potato fries that came with it, but all of the other fries ordered on the table looked awesome. 1 warning though...if you eat here BE SURE to save room for desserts. We had the blueberry cream pie, the chocolate mousse, the chocolate pecan cream pie, the key lime pie... and many of them were Gluten Free as everyone in my family (besides me) has allergies. My only regret is that I didn't get photos. Can't recommend enough. It's off the main strip too which is nice. Have lunch here, you won't regret it! read more

Food was very good but was extremely disappointed when they began moving furniture and mopping the floors before we finished our lunch (20 minutes before closing time). Totally not cool. I let them know and they were very apologetic but really, I needed to tell them this!? read more

Found this place on the way back from a ride in the Outer Banks, came here because of the good reviews. This place did not disappoint. However, if you don't want to sit at the bar or outside, call and make a reservation in advance. The food is outstanding. The service is very quick, and the inside has a Beach theme, which is really nice. read more

The SaltBox Cafe - Side orders of eggs, smoked bacon, toast - New American Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

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Food was very good as usual. Want to thank Randolph for cooking the 3 NY strips for us even though they weren't on the New Years menu. He also made the NOLA shrimp appetizer for me. This really made our dinner as we had been looking forward to those dishes. We go there every time we are down from PA and haven't been disappointed. read more

The SaltBox Cafe is still on our permanent list of places to eat every time we come to the OBX. The food is always top-notch! No matter what time of year it is, I highly recommend getting a reservation if possible. My family and I came here recently for my birthday. We all got different dishes, and everyone was *chef's kiss* over their food. We also got dessert (they even lit a candle on mine!) and took food home. The inside is cute and cozy. They do have outside seating when the weather is nice. Add this place to your OBX vacation dining list! read more

I will say this is 4 1/2 star review. First time here and it was a hitbwith the family. The appitizers were the hit if the dinner. We had the Farmers board charcuterie. Great selection of items as well as placement of items. The spring rolls were delicious and the BBQ shrimp was delicious and my favorite. I could not get enough of the BBQ sauce. Ended up putting it on almost everything we had. Even ordered extra bread to dip in the sauce. We loved the bread as well. We also had an order of roasted brussel sprouts. For the main courses we had the lamb loin with broccoli, pan Seared crabcake, the porkchop dinner with onions and potatoes, and sn order of shrimp and grits. I started out with the soup special which was the Thai curry pumpkin soup. Fir dessert we tried the chocolate almond cake which was very good and the lemon ricotta pie. I did not really taste much lemon but the chocolate almond cake was good. The service was excellent. Everyone was friendly and the staff were very attentive. The atmosphere us very casual and fun. The pricing was about average. Overall a great place and experience. We will be back. The star of the dinner was the appitizers. read more

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WOW! What a fantastic meal. Mark our waiter was helpful and personable.. All four of us at the table agreed this is a must place for you to go ....forget about the price. It's all about the food experience. Hope you enjoy. read more

We stopped here for lunch and it was the perfect pick. Cozy ambience, friendly and helpful wait person featuring a good variety of choices. Both of us loved our meals. We will definitely be back! read more

Keri C was our server and did an amazing job. This was the best brunch I think I've ever had. HIGHLY recommend the salmon hash with poached eggs and we will definitely be back! read more

Had brunch yesterday. The porch was small but cute, and the food was amazing. We had the pancakes and biscuit and gravy. Our server Camryn was also amazing. read more

Amazing food and excellent service in a very welcoming environment . The wine dinners are exceptional and not to be missed

The hot honey chicken was amazing! Shout out to the server for recommending. My bf had the bang bang burger it was so fresh 10/10. The server made the experience 100 times better. Being a minority in small towns makes a difference and we were so comfortable. read more

My spouse and I visited Salt Box on August 13. We sat at the bar and were served by Brandy. This was the 3rd time visiting the Saltbox. Our food was excellent. I had soup special which I brought home an additional service, Tilefish . My spouse enjoyed the crabcake. We each got a great dessert. i choose the Blueberry creme pie. The service and food was excellent. We look forward to returning next time we visit the outer banks. It is a small restaurant with friendly, professional staff. We were lucky a performer was playing the guitar while were eating. read more

Felt compelled to write a review because of the amazing dining experience that we had. We found The SaltBox Cafe after searching for gluten free options for my Celiac wife. I'd estimate that 2/3 of the menu is gluten free which was perfect. The Elk entree is one of the best red-meat dishes that I've ever had. My wife got the crab cake and my father-in-law got the stuffed pork loin both of which were delicious and raves over. Service was absolutely incredible and we even got a chance to thank the chef. The live music was a great added bonus. Do not pass up the opportunity to dine here! read more

I ordered the fried Sammy and my sister ordered the chicken sandwich, Mom ordered a salad with crab cakes. Everything was absolutely delicious and our server was wonderful. She was very attentive and kind. I highly recommend them. read more

The SaltBox Cafe - We had a wonderful Mother, daughter, sister time together. - New American Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

Very disappointing for such a cute place. Stopped in this past Sunday at 1pm to learn they serve only brunch menu. We were ok with that and got seated quickly. All good until the server Mark (also had an owner vibe?) came to wait on us. He was very curt, never smiled and not at all welcoming. We ordered quickly, he wrote down our order and we never saw him again until he brought the check. He never stopped by to see if food was OK, or if we needed anything, more drinks etc. But we saw him chatting up other customers at the bar. After he returned with credit card, he put it on table, never said a word and walked away. No thank you, nothing. Granted it appeared that it had been a busy day there, but if that is how they treat customers, their business won't make it. And also, the curried chicken salad was awful...drowning in mayo dressing. Very disappointing, too many other good restaurants to go to who appreciate their diners. Recommend Blue Moon Bistro nearby. read more

Food is excellent, though the live music is terrible. Sitting out on the porch and ambiance was crushed. Her vocals are sub par and volume too loud. Please turn it down or move her inside to lower volume. Thanks read more

Food was excellent! We ate lunch and one of our party is gluten free. Not many lunch items but there were 2 gluten free dessert which was unusual. Portion sizes were generous and nicely presented. We ate outside and it was glorious! read more

Had a wonderful experience and dinner here on my honeymoon. You must have the crab cakes!

Literally no complaints about this place. We made a reservation but showed up almost 30 minutes early, they were able to seat us right away. Our server, April was awesome. We had the Farmers Board for an appetizer which is always our favorite. Our entrees were both amazing. I had the Ribeye with asparagus and frites, cooked to a perfect medium rare. Miss Courtney had the catch of the day, which happened to be her favorite Mahi, which was served with Couscous and asparagus. For dessert, we had a Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie. There was an acoustic artist outside singing and playing guitar. The room inside is very cool. Small, but very cute and well put together. We will surely be back. read more

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The food, atmosphere and service were outstanding. Our server offered perfect recommendations for both our meal and wine. Definitely will be returning! read more

Good service but unfortunately the food was not up to the ratings on line. It was just O K not outstanding.

This little cafe was wonderful! And such a sweet surprise. We order the Sammy, which was a blackened sea bass sandwich with sweet potato fries. So very fresh and yummy. Highly recommend! read more

The SaltBox Cafe - Local American seafood eatery - delicious homemade desserts! - New American Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

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We were here with a group of 6 of us. Everyone loved their food and the service was excellent! The bonus to this restaurant is that they have an in house pastry chef! Every dessert was spectacular! We had: Crab cake sandwiches (3 each) And fried fish Sammy (3 each) Some of us has regular fries and others had sweet potato fries. For dessert we had: Key lime crème brûlée Peanut butter, chocolate, banana cream pie Carrot cake All 3 were amazing! Definitely recommend this darling spot! read more

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Delicious food, fantastic service, and one happy group of siblings. Each year that we travel to the Outer Banks, we forget to make reservations in a weeks in advance - if you want to eat here, I recommend doing so. However, upon our arrival, a kind couple was nice enough to move so that our party of seven could occupy the rest of the bar. We started off with the shrimp appetizer, the brussels sprouts, and the ciabatta. All delicious and well-portioned. For dinner, we had the ribeye, the tuna, the pork chop special with peaches, the lamb, the shrimp and grits, the crabcakes, the Mezze plate, and the portobello mushroom pasta dish. Everyone was very happy - especially the vegetarian in our group. We finished the night with a spiced pineapple cake, a peaches and cream cake and cannoli pie. All good - not our favorite part of the meal, but good. A solid evening out with great service!! read more

The SaltBox Cafe - Crabcake - New American Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

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We loved this place! They were kind enough to squeeze us in for a last minute reservation towards the end of the night. There was also live music playing outside the cozy cottage, which was really lovely. We ordered the NOLA bbq shrimp, pan seared crab cake, and catch of the day. Everything was so delicious and bursting with a lot of flavor. Highly recommend all three of these dishes. We then got one of their house made desserts, the blueberry ricotta pie. It was really light and not too sweet, which is right up our alley for post dinner treats. read more

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It's a birthday brunch for me! Well, not brunch because they're only serving lunch. I was a little disappointed at first but pleasantly surprised by their soup du jour, the Thai crab. It's such a unique, delightful flavor. So yummy! I wish I asked for a bowl instead of a cup. Oh, well... Lunch did not disappoint. The crabcake was perfectly cooked atop a healthy Cesar salad. I still want to come back for their awesome breakfast and brunch. read more

The SaltBox Cafe - Crab soup - New American Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

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Not just your fry and dine establishment. Nice atmosphere and good food. Even accompanied allergies

Loved it! Staying at OBX campground and this was right around the corner. We will be back. The food, atmosphere and service were impeccable. Everything that came out of the kitchen looked great. We sat at bar and noticed lots of tables with reservations. Might need to make a reservation for popular times. read more

The SaltBox Cafe - Colington Biscuits and Gravy - New American Near Me - Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

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Stellar food and service, what a hidden gem! The food was very creative, well prepared, and delicious! I recommend the catch of the day. I had the best seared sea scallops over puréed cauliflower with mushrooms and crispy kale. My husband had freshly caught cobia with quinoa and broccolini. The desserts are also amazing! read more

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