Harbor House Seafood Market — Restaurant in North Carolina

I am completely enamored with Harbor House and would give it 10 stars if I could. HH is the gold standard across three key dimensions: sustainable harvesting, seafood quality, and customer service.

HH is dedicated to ensuring the longevity of the local fisheries and adheres to the highest sustainability standards. All of their fish comes from their own boat (F/V Prowler) and local partners, going from boat to market within a day and resulting in incredibly fresh fish.

During our stay at Hatteras, we purchased Cobia, Snowy Grouper, and Golden Tilefish from HH and each were insanely delicious. I would go so far as to say that the Golden Tilefish was the best tasting fish I’ve ever had (h/t to my brother-in-law Berrett who prepared it). If you are making fish bites or fish tacos, make sure you also purchase some Blackened Redfish Magic seasoning (my brother and I have been loyal members of Old Bay Nation since childhood, but Redfish Magic could dethrone Old Bay as our favorite seasoning). HH also sells sides and other prepared food - we had the hush puppies and seaweed salad and both were top notch. There are a ton of other items that I look forward to trying next time.

While I will be a lifetime HH customer simply based on the quality of the food, it’s the customer service that make HH a must visit. Ms. Vicki (owner) and her daughter, Alana, are two of the friendliest people you will ever meet. Their passion for fishmongering is palpable and they are incredibly gracious with their time in answering customer questions / providing preparation tips. Within a few minutes of chatting, they feel like family. Even if one of my brothers or sisters was responsible for procuring the fish on a given day, I would accompany them to HH just so I had the chance to chat with Vicki and Alana.

If you are in the Hatteras Island area, I highly recommend a visit to Harbor House Seafood Market. I promise you won’t regret it!

P.S. When you visit, ask if you can...

While vacationing in OBX my husband and I decided to get a seafood boil. We researched and decided that the harbor house had great reviews, so we made a reservation for pick-up. When my husband went in, he was asked how many people. He said two adults and a 1-year-old, who quite frankly can put away food. My husband is 6’4”, and I'm 5’11”, so we aren't little. We added more clusters of crab legs and some extra sauces. When my husband returned with a shallow 9x11 pan with two small clusters of crab legs (no claw), some baby scallops, four potatoes, two large scallops, four shrimp, six clams, and some potatoes and sausage, I was pretty upset bc he paid $80. I don't mind spending money 💲 on seafood, and I get inflation and all, but at least the person working could have looked at my husband and been like maybe I should direct him to get more food because I felt like we were splitting a single portion. Please don't get me wrong, the food was still delicious, but We had to buy a pizza afterward because we were still...

Harbor House Seafood Market is absolutely worth the 20-minute drive from Cape Hatteras. Whether you’re craving fresh local seafood to cook yourself or want it expertly steamed to perfection, this place delivers every time. The quality is unmatched—everything is incredibly fresh, from the shrimp and scallops to the fish and crab. You can truly taste the difference.

What really sets Harbor House apart, though, is the amazing customer service. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about what they do. They’ll happily answer questions, offer cooking tips, and help you pick out the best catch of the day. It’s not just a market—it’s an experience.

If you’re in the Outer Banks and love seafood, don’t miss this gem. It’s a local treasure that’s well worth...