NC Outer Banks, May 2021: Introduction

by | Jun 11, 2021 | Food & Drink, Travel, USA Travel

With full vaccinations (!) and a desire for a quick getaway, Leandra planned a two night trip to the NC Outer Banks for my birthday. There were several firsts on this trip:

  • (surprisingly) the first time we’d ever been to this part of NC in the 15 years we’ve lived here.
  • our first trip without Pasha since early 2020.
  • the beach restaurants were the first places we went that didn’t require a mask on entry.

We used some points at the Holiday Inn Express in Nags Head – it was as generic as expected, but the location was fine for exploring the Outer Banks and we had easy access to the beach.

us @ Nag's Head beach

Where we ate

Blue Moon Beach Grill, Nags Head

Quite busy, lots of people coming in for drinks and dinner. We were lucky and got seats at the bar pretty quickly. I ordered the fish & chips and Leandra got the ‘blackened’ fish tacos. Our food was fine (not memorable) but the bartender was pretty heavy in her wine pours – I think this would be better for drinks-only in the future. Small bonus for being easy walking distance from our hotel.

Grits Grill, Nags Head

Classic American diner-style breakfast – we went for breakfast our first morning, and I quite enjoyed the pancakes. Leandra went a bit lighter with a egg and sausage biscuit. Since it was really good and filling, we decided to return the next morning as well.

Grits Grill (breakfast on Mon + Tues)

Waves Market, Waves

On our way back from Cape Hatteras, Leandra was feeling noshy so we stopped in to this market for a sandwich. They also have a huge selection of beer and wine so if staying locally, this may be a good place to stock up.

Ocean Boulevard Bistro and Martini Bar, Kitty Hawk

Leandra had reserved our spot in advance as the fancy dinner place to celebrate my birthday. A stark contrast to the bustling (crowded) dinner the evening before, all the tables were nicely spaced in a relaxed atmosphere. We took advantage of their reasonable corkage fee by bringing a bottle of rose from home. Eric started with the Caesar salad, then the pork chop ‘Saltimbocca style’, while Leandra started with the mussels appetizer and greatly enjoyed the local seared scallops for her main dish. Delicious and recommended.

pork loin @

Leandra side note: We fully intended to try some Duck Donuts on this trip but after waiting in line for over 15 minutes (and not moving) at the one location open on a Tuesday we decided to skip. Another time perhaps!

Tagged with: NC | Outer Banks | restaurants

Our Itinerary

2025 Trips

Buenos Aires, Argentina (Feb)
Bariloche, Argentina (Feb)
Iguazu Falls, Argentina (Feb)
Boston, MA (Apr)
Kathmandu, Nepal (May)
Bhutan (May)

2024 Trips

San Diego, CA (Jan)
Sarasota, FL (Feb)
Madrid, Spain (Mar)
Valencia, Spain (Mar+Apr)
Palma, Mallorca (Apr)
Croatia (May)
Long Island, NY (July)
Faroe Islands (Aug)
London, UK (Sept)
Puglia, Italy (Sept)
Matera, Italy (Oct)
Rome, Italy (Oct)
Mosel Valley, Germany (Oct)
Frankfurt, Germany (Oct)
London, UK (Dec)
Manchester, UK (Dec)

2022 Trips

Florida (Feb)
NC Mountains (Apr)
Washington DC (Apr)
Valencia, Spain (May)
Hilton Head, SC (May)
Pacific NW (Jun)
Long Island (Jul)
Florida (Sept)
Chicago (Sept)
Poland (Sept)
NC Mountains (Nov)
Euro Xmas Markets (Dec)