Corolla, NC, Restaurants: American Fusion & Gourmet

One of the most well-known and trusted caterers on the Outer Banks – a legend since 1985 – Kelly’s offers family-style meals as well as individual meals for delivery or pick up. While they still provide customized full-service catering events for any size group, self-directed services are very popular with their vacationing guests. Whether it’s for one night or each night during your stay, Kelly’s can satisfy all your dining needs. No matter how you use their services, don’t forget to add on several dozen of their ever-popular sweet potato ham biscuits.

Few things capture the true laid-back coastal dining vibe of the OBX like a seafood boil, and no one does it better than Outer Banks Boil Company. Since 2012 owner Matt Khouri and his team have been serving up acclaimed steaming pots of succulent seafood (shrimp, snow crab, lobster tails, scallops, clams and mussels), authentic andouille sausage and fresh produce to folks from Corolla to Hatteras Island. Whether you choose to “Book a Boil” for their legendary on-site service (from set up to clean up) or you “Pick Up a Pot” to steam at home, you’ll enjoy one of the very best meals on the Outer Banks.   Need an option for non-seafood lovers? They also offer pulled pork BBQ and coleslaw. Don’t forget to add in some sweet cornbread muffins and wrap up the experience with a key lime pie. With locations in Corolla, Kitty Hawk and Hatteras Island, no matter where you are on the Outer Banks, no trip is complete without an Outer Banks Boil Company Seafood Boil.

Sundogs is a great family-friendly restaurant for lunch and dinner in Corolla. The grill offers an array of appetizers along with steamed seafood, salads, sandwiches, burgers and full entrees such as New Orleans-inspired shrimp and grits created by Chef Bryan Maher and a host of new menu items from new team chefs Matthew Purdue and Agustus Dawson – think Teriyaki-Glazed Salmon, Lobster Mac & Cheese with Pork Belly and Pulled Pork Kimchi Tacos. A host of daily specials ensures that the chefs can be as creative as they want to be (specials are posted on social media). Be sure to check out the raw bar featuring a variety of oysters and other seafood. Sundogs has a kids' menu and a midday appetizer menu from 3 to 5 p.m. every day. When dinner ends, nightlife begins. Sundogs is open until 2 a.m. every night during summer with several nights of live music and karaoke. This is also the place for all your sports-viewing adventures, especially Sunday football, thanks to their large projection TV and 12 other TVs. After 10 p.m. Sundogs is open for ages 21 and older only.

One of the few restaurants in Corolla staying open all year long, Uncle Ike's serves a wide range of fresh, homemade foods. With an aim to please the whole family, the menu includes big, bold, fresh flavors in every local seafood dish, including their famous mahi tacos and crab cakes. Photographs of the daily chef's specials can be found on their Facebook page. Kids are welcome, and the menu includes plenty of fresh (not frozen) food to satisfy picky eaters. Covered outdoor seating is available. After dark, adults are invited to revel in a variety of entertainment like live music, DJs, karaoke or UFC Fights and NFL Ticket games, broadcast on multiple flat-screen TVs in the bar. From day to night, Uncle Ike's always welcomes new faces and friends, saying that their customers are relatives they choose for themselves.