Captain Andy's — Restaurant in Nags Head

First time there 2 years ago the place was great. Had a great meal and the service was friendly and accommodating. This time, the overall experience was just not to the level that we had hoped. First, we were seated inside the Tikibar, but the place was roasting hot. Sure, it's 88 degrees outside, but somehow, no fans were able to cool the place off. OK, we'll work that. We arrived at about 8ish, knowing they close at 9pm. The staff assured us it was not a problem, though we felt rushed the whole time. We quickly ordered drinks, and then the drinks were at the table we ordered the food. While we waited for the food, we stepped outside to cool off. The place was empty inside, but the 4 tops outside were about 60% full. Two of sat down outside at an unoccupied table to wait, but apparently that caused a huge issue with the servers (enough where the bartender had to say something to us), something about they didn't know who's section it was and would have caused the staff confusion. OK, so inside we go. Food came about 8:40ish, and we rushed to eat. Food OK, pricey though ($14 for a burger). Out of there by 9 of course. Overall, atmosphere was blah, not fun, hot. Food just OK, nothing special. Service was just OK. Stopped at Fish Heads 2 days later...packed at 7pm, cool and breezy inside, prices excellent (burger $9), atmosphere was fun (they had a great band playing), good food and...

I’ve visited this fishing pier several times, hoping it would live up to its potential, but unfortunately, it continues to fall short in several key areas.

One of the biggest frustrations is the bar and restaurant, which often close earlier than the posted hours. It’s disappointing to arrive expecting food or drinks, only to be turned away because staff have decided to shut things down early. It gives the impression that customer service is not a priority.

Even more discouraging is the general atmosphere created by some of the employees and what seems to be a group of the owners’ older friends who hang around. Their unfriendly attitudes make the space feel unwelcoming, and I’ve heard similar feedback from others in the community who now avoid the pier entirely.

The real shame is that this place could be a fantastic destination. The location is great, and with a little more effort, professionalism, and care about the customer experience, it could thrive. Unfortunately, it feels like the people running it just don’t care enough to make that happen.

Here’s hoping they wake up and realize the opportunity...

I usually give good reviews, but I have to say that our experience here wasn’t enjoyable. It’s really a neat looking place and our food was decent. The problem all started when we had plans to meets friends there. Because my son has an allergy to shellfish, I made a special point to go there the night before and I asked the hostess if they had anything on their menu to accommodate him. The hostess ASSURED me that they kept their shellfish separate from the rest of the food and seemed rather confident that he would be fine.

Then when we met our friends there last night, the waitress acted like we were crazy for even thinking that they would have something for him and said that there would be no guarantees that his food wouldn’t be cross contaminated. My husband ended up going to McDonald’s and getting him something.

I don’t mind if a restaurant doesn’t make accommodations for people with food allergies. I just want an accurate answer the...