A guide to dining out during the holidays

The weather is much cooler, the days are getting shorter, and there are many fewer visitors on Hatteras and Ocracoke.

Many of the islands’ restaurants have already closed and others will be closing shortly.

However, visiting during the holidays is much more popular with tourists than it once was. Spending Thanksgiving or Christmas by the ocean when there is less hustle and bustle is appealing to many.

So if you are planning a visit to the islands this holiday season, we have some information for you if you don’t want to be fixing all of your meals yourself while you are on vacation.

Also, many residents now can look forward to eating out during the winter as opposed to a time when every restaurant was closed up for months.

The Island Free Press sent emails to the islands’ restaurants, asking about their plans for the holidays.

We heard back from some of them and share that information with you.

AVON

Gidget’s Pizza and Pasta.  Food Lion Plaza Shopping Center. Serving pizza, pasta, calzones, subs, and paninis. Open until Thanksgiving on Monday – Thursday from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. and on Fridays and Saturdays until 9.  After Thanksgiving, open Tuesday – Thursday from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. and until 9 on Friday and Saturday.
Closed on Thanksgiving day, Dec. 22-25, New Year’s Day and Dec. 1- 4 for deep cleaning.

Woodies. Food Lion Plaza. Open during the holiday season from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Serving burgers and sandwiches.

BUXTON

The Fish House. Buxton Harbor. Open Tuesday through Saturday for lunch from noon until 3 p.m. and for dinner from 5 until 8 p.m. during November. Closed on Thanksgiving Day but open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of Thanksgiving week.

Café Pamlico at The Inn on Pamlico Sound.   Highway 12 in southern Buxton. Cafe Pamlico is open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday at 5 p.m. through November.  Reservations are accepted for dining from 5 until 8 p.m.

The café will be open on Thanksgiving for a buffet with reservations accepted from 2 until 6 p.m. Click here to see the menu. The cost is $36 for adults and $18 for children. You can also request your Thanksgiving buffet “to go,” and the restaurant staff will box it up for you.

Reservations are highly recommended for this excellent but small café.  Call 252-995-4500.

In addition, Café Pamlico will be open on New Year’s Eve from 5 until 9 p.m. for a six-course prix-fixe dinner with drinks to match each course.  The cost is $75 for adults.

Pop’s . Closes Saturday Saturday after Thanksgiving and will reopen after Christmas.

Buxton Munch.   Osprey Shopping Center. Will be closed the first 10 days of December, otherwise open through the end of January 2014. Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day and on Sundays. Open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Open Tuesday and Saturday until 7 p.m. for dinner.

Conner’s Supermarket.   Highway 12.  Although this is not a restaurant, we’ve included it here because you can purchase a ready-to-heat-and-eat Thanksgiving dinner with the trimmings. For $49.95, you will get a dinner that will feed eight to 10 persons.  It includes a 10-12 pound fully cooked turkey, two pounds of turkey gravy, three pounds of mashed potatoes, three pounds of stuffing, and one pound of cranberry relish. You can pick up the dinner at the store on Wednesday or before noon on Thursday. Call or visit Conner’s at 252-995-5711 to place an order. Or you can e-mail conners@embarqmail.com. Conner’s will offer a ham dinner for Christmas.

If you just want the turkey, you can get it from Crazy Johnny’s. A fresh, hot, and ready-to-eat 16-pound turkey is $50. Limited number available.  Call 252-996-0711 or e-mail crazyjohnnysbbq@gmail.com.

HATTERAS

Dinky’s. Highway 12 at Village Marina. Open for dinner at 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday through Nov. 30.  Closed Thanksgiving Day.

Hatterasman Drive-In.   Highway 12. Open everyday except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Hours are 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. and 5 until 8 p.m. on Monday through Thursday and from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

WAVES

Watermen’s Bar and Grill.  At REAL Watersports on Highway 12.  Open every day but Christmas Eve and Christmas Day through New Year’s Eve.  Hours are 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. daily. Full menu serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffees, cocktails.  On the waterfront.  Daily specials. Eat in or take out.

(Editor’s note to restaurants:  If your dining establishment is not listed here and you want to be, please send the information to editor@islandfreepress.org.)