Outer Banks Brewing Station — Restaurant in Kill Devil Hills

We wanted to do something different for my birthday since it was the big 3-0! I found this place from Triple D on the food network and looked it up online and since we live in Hampton Roads it was only a short 1 ½ hour drive. I read the reviews on google and yelp and though, “ok seemed decent let’s try it”. Yeah there were a few “bad” reviews but who doesn’t have those? The good out weighed the bad, plus there was a reggae/rock band playing that night and their youtube page highlights were pretty awesome looking.

Let’s start with the good: Our server was AMAZING!!! We had a party of 8 and she wowed us!!! She kept up with all our drinks from non-alcoholic to the bar drinks. No one ever had an empty glass. Our apps came out quickly and were delish! Personally my husband and I had the chip and dip plate w/ cheese and it was YUM! The homemade salsa was so good it didn’t need a chip, I could have eaten it with a fork (and I did!). We also had the chicken wings, I personally didn’t eat them but my husband and couple of the other guys at our table had them and praised them highly. Next was dinner, my husband and I shared the chicken and biscuits (it’s a HALF chicken!) it came with mashed potatoes (just the way we like them, still chunky) and FRESH green beans. Our entrée was yum also. I didn’t hear any complaints at the table about the food and we all enjoyed our flights (the beer sampler) and other alcoholic drinks. Overall dinner was GREAT!

Now the not-so-good: I called about 2 weeks prior and asked how the process went for a party of 14 (originally we had a party of 14). I was told “it’s the off season, just call a few minutes before and we’ll pull some tables together for you”, GREAT. Fast forward to Sat night, I called and asked how long the wait would be for a party of 8 and was told in a SNOTY FLAMBOYUANT voice, “Well if you were here right now I could seat you”. I didn’t want to start the night off bad so I brushed it off. Then once we arrived which was about 7:00 p we asked where would be a good place to sit to enjoy the show later (which was advertised to start at 10p and then we were told by our server that it wasn’t starting until 10:30/10:45is). We were told, again, in a SNOTY FLAMBOYANT attitude “well it doesn’t matter because the show is in 4 hours and you’ll have to move anyway wherever I seat you”. Again, not wanting a bad night we brushed it off.

Overall we had great food and great service, but for the “first impression” people, ie: the ones who answer the phones, and host, change your attitude, you’re the front line, and if we weren’t all servers at one point in our lives we probably would have taken that out on the server’s extra tip (b/c in a party of 8 you’re automatically charged 20%). But we know it’s not her fault you have an attitude problem. Maybe next time check it at the door, you never know who you’ll affect and how!

Would we come back, probably not, maybe just to buy a growler of beer and leave...

My family and I recently checked out the Outer Banks Brewing Station and had a decent dining experience - the food was average, the service was good, and the atmosphere was excellent - but it was unbearably hot considering it's late June during a North Carolina summer.

I kicked things off with a mocktail called the Prickly Saint - a mix of prickly pear simple syrup, pineapple juice, and soda water - to try to take the edge off the heat. It was refreshing and tasty, like a vacation in a glass. Good stuff, but not necessarily great! The presentation of the drink made me feel like I should be lounging on a tropical beach, not worrying about calories, but the taste reminded me why I don't like soda water...

I ordered the seasonal ravioli for the main course – sweet pea and cheese ravioli tossed with country ham, carrots, sugar snaps, onions, and garlic, all in a lemon-mint butter sauce with crumbled goat cheese. It was alright...sounded like a gourmet delight, but the reality was more like a polite nod rather than a standing ovation. Good but not extraordinary.

My Dad started with a Bloody Mary at the bar before choosing the NC Pork BBQ Plate for his supper - described as smokin’ good NC vinegar-based BBQ with fries and house-made slaw. The BBQ and slaw, as expected in any North Carolina restaurant, delivered. Sadly, the Bloody Mary he ordered was a disaster. Too spicy and not enough actual taste – more like a punishment than a drink. Poor Dad.

My partner went for the Beast burger - a patty blend of elk, bison, Wagyu beef, and pork – talk about a meat extravaganza! They seemed happy with it, but, like the jack and coke ordered, not much to report there – sometimes simplicity wins but it doesn't wow.

My brother and his family joined us as well and they seemed to enjoy their food and the portions seemed more than sufficient - even for the kids menu! Though, overall, they also seemed to enjoy the atmosphere more than the food.

Now, while the rest of the meal was decent, I do want to pay some dues for the highlight of the meal - the dessert. We grabbed the carrot cake to-go and let me tell you, it was fantastic! Moist, rich, and perfectly spiced - absolutely fabulous. The sort of cake that makes you want to sneak a bite in the middle of the night.

The other best feature of this experience was the atmosphere. Fun and full of character – exactly the sort of place you'd want to spend an evening that brings the spirit of the OBX to life.

The live music was fantastic and the musician was on fire, playing a mix of 70s, 80s, and 90s hits that drew a nice crowd and was enjoyable and relaxing, adding to the fun yet comfortable atmosphere.

If only the actual place was that chill - we were all practically melting! Like, sweat-through-your-shirt hot. They need more fans or a better A/C setup.

Overall, worth a visit, especially for the live music and that phenomenal carrot cake, just maybe next time we’ll bring a...

First of, I'm not one to leave negative reviews but I feel like there is a lot of room for improvement at this place. It was a Friday night so we expected it to be busy. Came in with a party of 17 and the wait was an hour an a half, no big deal. The hostess said to head out back and play corn hole and the ring game. Also, the big sign out front said live band at 530. Well, we get out back and there was not corn hole bags because the bartender said it had rained that day and they don't give them out when it rains. We were staying near by and it hadn't rained since noon. It was 630. Both strings for the ring game were broke and they said they didn't have any string. Also, there was not any live entertainment. Not sure what happened there. Still, we waited. 2 hours and 15 minutes we were seated. The wait staff and bar tenders were very rude and seemed unhappy. It always seemed like a big deal if we needed anything like more drinks, ketchup or napkins. I am giving a 2 star review because the food was descent. But we are a pretty chipper crowd and the customer service was so bad that it put us in a way less chipper mood! We spent almost $500 between drinks, appetizers and food. I think they could afford to let us have some corn hole bags to help us pass the time. Our food took about an hour an a half to come out which was fine but would have been a lot better if we could have gotten refills on our drinks without feeling like we were pulling teeth. Customer service and atmosphere can trump crappy food. Chips were stale and cheese was cold for chips and dip but other than that food was descent. We got there at 6....