facebooktwitterpinterestrss

Outer Banks Restaurant Guide & Tours

Outer Banks Restaurant Tours offers walking and driving tours to some of the finest restaurants in the Outer Banks. These tours offer participants a one-of-a-kind opportunity to meet restauranteurs and sometimes, the chefs, to learn about what makes each restaurant unique, and to taste signature dishes paired with a sampling of wine or beer. Whether you are a first-time vacationer to this area or a regular visitor that returns year after year, one of our restaurant tours would be a delightful and delectable way to enhance your stay in the Outer Banks.

Prices range from $45 to $60 per person; for the price of a dinner at one restaurant you have the opportunity to sample the offerings at three or four restaurants. On top of all this, tour participants receive gift certificates from the restaurants so you can go back during your stay and enjoy even more great food and drink! So, bring your appetite and join us for an informative, fun-filled, and delicious culinary experience!

(Outer Banks Restaurant Tours will donate 10% of the tour profits to the local Food Bank.  By taking a restaurant tour to enjoy great food, you are helping others obtain food for themselves and their families.)

252.722.2229 / info@outerbanksrestauranttours.com

Tour Information:

Outer Banks Restaurant Tours offers tours from Memorial Day through Labor Day on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Each tour is comprised of three to five restaurants that are in close geographic proximity to each other. Some tours are walking tours; others are driving tours on which participants will be chauffeured from restaurant to restaurant. The group will gather at a specified location and then proceed as a group to each restaurant on the tour. At each restaurant, there will be a brief presentation by the owner or chef, followed by a small sample of a signature dish paired with a tasting of wine or beer. The restaurant tours will last approximately three to four hours, including meeting and travel time. At the conclusion of the tour, participants on the walking tours will be on their own to do as they please. Participants on the driving tours will be transported back to the original meeting place.

Tour Schedule:

Corolla – Wednesdays – $55 per person – Enjoy a drive around the north end of Corolla for a unique culinary experience that honors both the traditional and the new.  Mike Dianna’s Grill Room has become a Corolla institution, known for their delectable steak and seafood.   The summer of 2011 brings two new Italian restaurants to Corolla.  Pasquale’s Pizza and Pasta and Bambino’s Little Italy are welcoming visitors with great Italian dishes and wine.   If you love Italian food, this is the tour for you!   JUST ADDED:  After sampling all this food and wine, we will pay a visit to Seaside Farm Market where we will receive a brief tour by the owner and be treated to samples of homemade pie and peaches and sips of North Carolina wine!

Meeting Time: 1:45 p.m.
Meeting location: North end of the Food Lion parking lot near Ocean Trail between Dockside Seafood and Sunfish Grill
Number of people: 10
Approximate Ending Time: 5:20 p.m.

Duck – Tuesdays – $60 per person – What could be better than spending an afternoon walking in the quaint village of Duck, along the new scenic boardwalk on the Currituck Sound, and sampling great food and drink? At just over one mile total walking distance, this is our longest walking tour, but the experience definitely makes it worthwhile. At least you’ll burn up some of the calories you’ll consume on this tour!! Participating restaurants include Aqua Restaurant/Aqua Essence Day Spa, where you will be treated to a behind-the-scenes look at the kitchen and receive wine education, the recently renovated Red Sky Cafe, the cozy, yet elegant  Elizabeth’s Cafe and Winery, and the fun, sound-front hotspot, Coastal Cantina. As a special addition, we will begin with an exclusive tour of the weekly sampling of food and drink at Tommy’s Gourmet Market and Wine Emporium.  The activities at Tommy’s changes weekly, so you may experience local and international products, sample artesian foods, meet vendors, watch product demonstrations, or any combination thereof!  JUST ADDED:  A sweet ending to this tour at the newly-opened Sweet Duck!  Gelato made fresh daily…need we say more?

Meeting Time: 1:00 p.m.
Meeting location: Parking lot at the Waterfront Shops in Duck
Number of people: 16
Approximate Ending Time: 5:30 p.m.

Kitty Hawk – Mondays – $50 per person – This exclusive driving tour takes participants to three of the premier restaurants in the Outer Banks. Our first stop is  Coastal Provisions Market’s Wine Bar and Cafe in Southern Shores with their new wine bar and new outdoor service area and oyster bar. From there we will proceed to Argyle’s Restaurant and Piano Bar, located in a historic building with lots of stories. The final stop on this tour is Ocean Boulevard Bistro and Martini Bar with its open kitchen and ocean views. The driving tour is limited to 10 people, so don’t delay… make your reservations today!

Meeting Time: 2:30 pm
Meeting location: Coastal Provisions parking lot in Southern Shores
Number of people: 10
Approximate Ending Time: 5:20 pm

Roanoke Island (Manteo) – Tuesdays – $45 per person – Did you know that the lovely waterside area of Roanoke Island is also a great food destination? Discover this bustling restaurant scene for yourself on this walking tour that takes you through the town, past antique shops and art galleries, and along waterfront to great restaurants. On this tour, we will visit Full Moon Cafe and Brewery with their new on-site brewery, Ortega’z Southwestern Grill and Wine Bar located in an older, historic building, and the lovely Adrianna’s Restaurant located on the waterfront. Come before the tour; stay after the tour. Roanoke Island has lots to do and see!

Meeting Time: 2:30 p.m.
Meeting location: Courtyard behind Dare County Arts Council located at 300 Queen Elizabeth Ave. between Sir Walter Raleigh Dr. and Budleigh St.
Number of people: 16
Approximate Ending Time: 5:20 p.m

Advisories:

  • Walking tours are capped at 16 participants; driving tours are capped at 10 participants.
  • Participants must be 21 or older because alcohol will be served on the tour. IDs will be checked by the tour operator prior to departure.
  • It is the nature of these tours that the group needs to move in a timely manner from place to place.  In addition, there are some restaurants on each tour that have space limitations and where negotiating stairs is necessary. The vehicles used for the driving tours also have space restrictions.  For these reasons, we are not able to accommodate children or teens who are not of the required age to participate in the tastings or children who are in strollers or who are being carried.   Every person going on the tour must be 21 or older.  We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.
  • Tours will be held rain or shine. Participants on walking tours especially are advised to wear comfortable shoes and to come prepared with rain gear in the event of inclement weather. If it is necessary to cancel a tour due to severe weather, such as violent thunderstorms or a hurricane, participants will be contacted by Outer Banks Restaurant Tours.
  • Participants on walking tours are advised to bring sunscreen, a hat, and a bottle of water.
  • Tipping of the wait staff at the restaurants and the tour guides is at the discretion of the participants and is very much appreciated.  Tour participants may wish to carry some cash on hand for this purpose.