Beachside Bistro — Restaurant in Kill Devil Hills

This was honestly the most disappointing dinner I've ever had. My husband and I wanted to splurge on a nice dinner before heading home from vacation. We don't have fresh ocean seafood anywhere near us at home so I really wanted one last good seafood meal. After reading Beachside Bistro's good reviews I was excited to try it out. We both ordered virgin pina coladas which were almost more like watery pineapple/coconut flavored shaved ice; not very creamy at all and not very flavorful. For dinner my husband ordered a chicken pasta dish, which was by far the lesser of two evils of our entrees. The sauce was pretty yummy and the pasta wasn't bad. Even so, his chicken was incredibly dry and not very appetizing to look at. My entree is where things get really bad. I ordered the outer banks seafood platter, which consisted of about four shrimps, four scallops, a crab cake, a trigger fish fillet, potatoes and "seasonal vegetables." The shrimp still had their tails on and were incredibly tough and rubbery. The scallops were also rubbery and had a strong, strange, unpleasant flavor. The trigger fish was watery and tasted very not fresh. None of the above were seasoned well. The crab cake was tolerable. The "seasonal vegetables" were a disgrace; mushy, watery carrots with green and wax beans in a bland, watery sort of sauce. The most palatable part of my whole seafood platter was probably the potatoes which were lacking in flavor but at least not an insult to the senses. To make matters worse, this plate of sadness was $35. This meal ended up being one of the most expensive of our entire vacation, and was by far the worst. We couldn't even get out of there as our waitress had disappeared and had to be retrieved by one of her coworkers. All in all, a crushing disappointment I wouldn't recommend to my...

Some of the worst restaurant food I’ve had in a while. Abysmal chef work and line cook work.

Waitstaff was great!

Now back to the food:

Don’t order the tuna appetizer. It’s dry, flavorless, certainly not blackened (do they even own smoked paprika?), though the sauces are decent enough. I suspect the sauces are bottled.

Don’t order the smash burgers. They’re not smash burgers, they’re a half inch thick on the edges. They’re dry and flavorless to the point where I don’t even think they season the beef. The bun was fine. The raw onion was fine, though it is the giant abomination red onions that are all over OBX, so expect more of a white onion flavor.

Fried green tomatoes were fine. I rather liked how crispy the breading was, though they don’t season it either. The sauce they give with it makes up for some of that.

A fellow guest claimed the chicken Marsala was good. Visually, I can tell you that it’s just mushroom sauce, not Marsala, which is kinda the entire name...

I cannot say enough about this establishment. The food and service were both INCREDIBLE. The view is especially beautiful if you sit outside, in the booth closest to the patio entrance. You can see the water there, and we even caught a glimpse of a family of dolphins swimming by! The wine list and menu are impressive, and enhanced by a charming, yet entirely unpretentious atmosphere. Vivian was our server, Jason the bartender, and Alex the manager that took our reservation, and helped my husband arrange to surprise me with a bottle of bubbly upon arrival. I want to mention them by name because they each went out of their way to make our evening special, making helpful suggestions, and providing friendly service. Highly recommend the crab cakes, strip steak, Manhattan (the bartender's special!), Blanc de Blanc wine, and key lime cheesecake! Bring your appetite, and extra cash to tip the people that will give you the dining experience you are...