Dajio

The food was sensational and full of flavor. The seafood couldn’t be anymore fresh. The ambience is warm and welcoming. I highly recommend. Also, go for the grilled banana bread. You won’t regret it!

This was the best restaurant experience I've had in recent memory. The food was spectacular. I had the Low Country Purloo and my partner had the seared scallops. The food was so good we couldn't stop eating! The atmosphere was elegantly simple. White table cloths, but still casual in overall style. Not so loud that we couln't hear eachother. Our server had obviously been doing this for a while. He struck exactly the right balance of attentiveness without being obsequious. Yes, it was pricey, but truly worth it. Date night perfection.

We had the fried green tomato and crab empanadas as appetizers. Both were flavorful and fresh. We then ordered a house salad with blackened shrimp and fig balsamic vinaigrette dressing to split as a main course. It too was excellent. The only negative were the margaritas which were exceptionally tart and had no tequila flavor. The owner was lovely to speak with. We would return.

Nice vibe, with a balance of indoor and outdoor seating. Great service and good food. The menu was not as clearly marked for gluten as I would like, but our server was knowledgeable and thorough with double checking with the kitchen. I safely enjoyed some fish tacos with tasty rice and beans. I would highly recommend and go back if I get to make it to the island again :) If you have a car on the island parking is limited but there’s plenty of parking that’s not a far walk from the restaurant. We were there end of May so I’m not sure if that changes in peak tourist season.

My wife and I visited here recently after being recommended by a local. The food was fantastic! The scallops served up cajun style might just be the best meal I have had in my 62 years. We loved the atmosphere, the service and the live music wad nice as well. Everything was fresh and made to order! Great job!!! We will be back!

This place is simply fantastic! The fried green tomatoes were out of this world! The smash burger was very good as well! Great staff and live music rounded off what was an amazing night for us. We will definitely be coming back again before the week is over!

Our absolute must stop in Ocracoke! I know it sounds crazy but our favorite thing on the menu is their grilled cheese! We are so sad that it is now only on the lunch menu though! They were so accommodating and made it for us as an appetizer at dinner!!! All the other food was fantastic too! Crab empanadas 👍🏻👍🏻 Teriyaki clam chowder 👍🏻👍🏻

My wife and I had a signature burger and a traditional cheeseburger. OUTSTANDING! One of the best burgers I've ever had. My wife said it was the best smash burger she had ever had. The fries were good enough, the key lime pie was good, but not tart enough for me. The 5 stars ride on the burgers. Bethany, our waitress, was excellent. I like the quaint atmosphere. Bottom line though is the burger. The ferry wait of nearly 3 hours was made worth it. The picture does it no justice.

food was amazing! steak was cooked perfectly! All staff was super friendly and attentive!

We come to Ocracoke every August and choose Dajio as our last dinner while here. Always excellent service and the meals will never disappoint! Tonight we had the Thai Coconut Curry dish with Drum fish and the salad with grilled flank steak, candied pecans and Gorgonzola cheese topped with delicious fig balsamic dressing. Already looking forward to next August We did return and hubby had an excellent meal of scalloped on a flavorful corn dish. I again had the salad with Flank Steak with the fig balsamic salad dressing! I could eat this dish daily! Excellent Service!!

Dajio was recommended by our bed and breakfast; we are staying nearby for 1 evening and looking for a good spot for dinner. This was a great option! We really enjoyed our fried green tomatoes. Truly wonderful and so fresh! After that, my husband and I shared a plate of blackened shrimp. The portion was generous, and we really enjoyed the shrimp and fries equally with a delicious remoulade. Finally, we ended with the fried banana bread dessert which was absolutely fabulous. This was a great recommendation while visiting Ocracoke!

The soup of the day was a mushroom teriyaki soup. It was so good I wanted to lick the bowl. I liked the scallops as well. The side of greens and mashed potatoes lacked flavor. The pork has a lot of filling and not a lot of meat. We were seated in the outdoor area, so I didn't see much of the inside. The outside has a couple of fans. We had to ask our waiter to point one at us to cool down.

We "made the drive" from Nags Head to Ocracoke. The first ferry ride was raining and bumpy and a lot of traffic going down.. Hwy 12 had a lot standing water especially on Ocracoke Island. It was raining but we found Dajio. You can sit inside or in an enclosed patio near the bar. Great menu choices and great waiter. We got the fried tomato appetizer and shared a shrimp platter, half fried and half sautéed. It came with fries and Cole slaw. Everything was top notch. I'd highly recommend going there.

I ordered the fish special which was Sheepshead. Hubby ordered the fish stew ... but not its actual name (Purloo!) but the sauce with all the fish was so good! My fish had a Parm crust that was so tasty and rich! If you look up what a sheepshead looks like you may be put off my their very human looking teeth but the fish was great! Green beans and mashed potatoes that were so good! Dessert was chocolate pecan pie that I ate all of it! Thank goodness we had to walk for a bit after!! Megan our server was so sweet and kinds. We enjoyed ourselves. Go early or expect to wait!

Wait was comfortable on deck. Service was just fine. Tuna ceviche was delicious starter. Scallops dish was ok. Overall satisfying as usual

We are regular visitors to Ocracoke and Dajios is a must-visit stop on our trip. Despite many other tempting entrees, my go-to is the crab Mac and cheese. It is the best I've ever had. A big bowl of delicious flavors, textures colors and smells. There is a good amount of crab and lots of smooth creaminess with surprise ingredients like a bit of corn. Yum. To feel less guilty, I also order a side of coleslaw which has an Asian flavor. It is also delicious. I didn't have photos of my companions entrees. They reported really enjoying their sautéed shrimp and fries and fish sandwich with coleslaw. We also shared the calamari which was perfectly crispy with a terrific dipping sauce. We sat indoors as we live the beautiful windows and set. We could hear the live music from the patio. Perfect island ambience. The servers are efficient and courteous. Give you the space you like when dining. $70 per couple. The price is a bit steep but worth a nice night out.

They were slammed on a Sunday afternoon, but the waiter and bartender were super-cool and accommodating. Food was good - drinks tasty! Nice outdoor ambiance.

Update: Returned to Dajio's this past July with a large group. I retract my previous comment about the bartenders. Our wait for dinner in the bar area was a pleasant one. The food was top notch!

The menu is adventurous and never disappoints; the service is fantastic and the atmosphere is wonderful, whatever the weather.

Made a quick pit stop here while driving around the island. It was a super hot day and we sat on the patio with no AC! It is a dog friendly location and several dogs sat on the patio as well. The crab cake was okay- I think the heat and the mayonnaise didn't sit well for me. I liked the calamari and the Mac and cheese. If you come here, it's definitely a great place for a quick meal and convenient location.

Shrimp with grits was good - with a bit of a pepper kick! Nice crowd on Saturday evening after the ferry arrived from Cedar Island. Very attentive and professional waiter.

Greeted by a nice hostess and seated right away. White tablecloths. I probably would have been more comfortable in a polo shirt, but we all had T shirts on, and nobody cared. Kids ordered chips and cheese dip, we had chargrilled oysters. Found a little shell in the three I had. Kids loved the cheese dip. Entrees followed . Chef special redfish with shrimp on top with a sauce and jasmine rice. Delicious! Fried shrimp with fries also very good. Scallops with corn and bacon came in third IMO. Kids Mac and cheese was a white sauce with extra cheese melted over it. 7 year old was not impressed, but the rest of us liked it! Cheese grits were too thick for me. Kind of pricey but we expected that

We stopped in for a late lunch (ferry lines) at the suggestion of a friend who lived on the island for several years. The weather was great, so we were seated outside under a roof, near the outdoor bar. The menu was innovative far beyond the usual fried-seafood beach fare. I had a grilled cheese with real gruyere, on sourdough, with a thin layer of chili pepper chutney, backed up by home-made close slaw and it was yummy. My companion had the caesar salad, with real anchovies in the dressing. The beer and wine menu is extensive, with something for everyone. I had a nice session IPA and my companion had a split of sparkling wine. Our server, Brandon, was top notch: he patiently explained the menu, and made a couple of suggestions that worked out well. He was friendly and efficient without hovering. In short, on our next trip to Ocracoke, we'll be back.

Fabulous service, food, and drinks. I had the fried green tomato and mozzarella caprese with fig balsamic vinegar. Oh so good! The macs and cheese with blackened shrimp was excellent as well. The shrimp were perfectly seasoned and tender. My wife had a soft shell crab special with grits. Nicely seasoned and the crab was exceptional. I also want to mention I like dark beer. This was one of the few restaurants in town that could even offer a dark stout or Porter in May. THANK YOU!

The variety of food here is tremendous. The quality of the food is excellent. I hade the ahi tuna wrap and it was exceptional. Food was so good we went Back later for drinks and they were as good as the food! Highly recommend this place

We were looking forward to dining here based on a recommendation from family in Hatteras. Our experience was both good and bad. The bad first - dinner service starts at 5 and if you arrive earlier you can sit in an outside garden waiting area. This area while attractive unfortunately attracted quite a few mosquitoes and most of us were bitten. Upon seating inside the dining area, our waiter was disinterested in serving us, we batted at the many flies that had entered through the open front door and dinner was served on chipped plates. The good - the food was excellent. Most of us ordered the Shrimp Poor Boys, which were very tasty. So much so that we continued to talk about the sauce that was on the sandwich the following day. Cocktails also were well prepared.

This place is a gem. Food was excellent waiter was amazing. I wish I could recall our waiters name. For a young man he was a very attentive and considerate. The ambiance was a low key, relaxed, easy vibe. They are also dog friendly for those who travel with their besties.

We came to Dajio at a quieter hour, around 3:00, and waited several minutes to catch the attention of the hostess, who was back in the kitchen. No apology when she realized people were waiting. When she brought us to a table, she simply plopped the menus down and walked away. We then sat for more than 10 minutes just... waiting, with no server in sight. No one took our drink orders, no waters, nothing. We could see through a back window to the kitchen, where the hostess and a cook/server were laughing and joking around. Listen, I understand poor/slow service when things are packed and staff is doing the best they can. But just hanging around is inexcusable when people are waiting, and we left without ordering to head up the street. There are plenty of other options on the island-- just go elsewhere and save yourself the trouble.

Took a meal away from the kids n camping. Got here for the switch from morning to dinner. Had maple scallops, beet and butternut squash salad. I had blackened shrimp platter and hubby had pork roulade. Scallops were great. Salad was good but had a touch to much dressing. Platter was nothing special, roulade was so good! Menu was marked for gf. They had drinks. Place was nice, staff was super friendly.

Wonderful food, space, and service! Food was delicious and great drink selection! We loved the outdoor seating areas!

Very good food, nice staff, and the look of the outside section of the restaurant is very nice. The server seamed a little stressed but they were busy but we had a party of eight.

I would travel back 8 hours just for the Scallop Appetizer one more time. Everything was great, delicious food, incredible drinks (great muddled fruit cocktail), and very attentive service. If I were back right now, I would order 2 maple scallop apps for myself. Impeccable.

Grilled Flank Steak: (Mia, 11 years old as the reviewer) The steak, mashed potatoes, and green beans were really good and I don't normally love green beans (until I came here). I came to Dajio with my family and service and food was awesome. Everything we ordered turned out delicious. We had grilled cheese, Scallops, grilled flank steak, and the blackened shrimp platter.

My wide and I had a memorable evening here on the last night of our Outer Banks vacation. We got a last minute reservation, the service was terrific, the food great, and the prices are fair. I highly recommend.

If you ever find yourself on Ocracoke Island you must go to Dajio. We were only there for 2 nights and our dinner was so good the first night we didn't hesitate to go back the second. We started with the crab empanadas which were hot, crispy and filled with tender crab meat. My husband had the grouper special and I had the filet mignon special with grilled asparagus and risotto. The grouper was tender and juicy. My filet was cooked exactly as I ordered it and absolutely melted in my mouth. The second night we ordered off their regular menu: a Dajio house burger and a shrimp po'boy. Both excellent. We also ordered a side of the house grits - with roasted poblanos and Gorgonzola cheese. They were phenomenal! We have to give a special shoutout to our server Chris. We were lucky enough to have him both nights. The house was packed the first night we went and he was busy but we never felt neglected or hovered over either. He took good care of us from drinks to dessert! The vibe at Dajio is laid back, beachy, and full of Island lifestyle. Exactly what we were looking for on Ocracoke.

It was our first time trying this place, we started off eager to try some tasty food. Much to our surprise, it took about 10 minutes to get seated (no problem at all). They asked for our drinks and returned shortly after to take our food orders. No one returned for at least 40 minutes, not even to refill our waters or give us an update on our food. I had to walk and ask the host what was going on. They CLEARLY had forgotten to put our order in and gave us some stupid excuse about making sure the chicken was fully cooked!! We finally received our food after over an hour. Honestly, the food was very good. My burger did not have much flavor but overall, great food. Totally recommend this place is you want to die at your table waiting on your food to come out!

The crab mac and cheese was incredible, and should certainly be considered when visiting the village. The bar and the restaurant are both nice environments, and both offer great service by excellent staff. The ambiance of the outdoor bar when the live band was there was so fun, although it was rather cold outside, I still enjoyed myself!

Heck yeah! We went here on a Monday. Everyone else seems to be closed on Monday so this makes an easy choice. Wifey and I both had the NY strip. It comes with a boiled down balsamic sauce along with crispy onions. Mouth watering fantastic. Mashed potatoes were good although they seem like they had sat under a hot lamp.... The chips and queso were great too. Waiter was very pleasant and the hostess/owner is a hoot. Definitely will go back. Oh yeah, inside is comfortable and breezy.

The food is extremely tasty and good portion sizes. Every time we visit the service is amazing and very attentive to our needs. The vibe is unique as it encompasses both a chill vibe outside and an upscale feel inside. We love that we could take our puppy with us and sit outside. They even cater to our furry family by making sure they had their own bowl of fresh ice water. Great establishment!

The food was great, especially the filet Oscar. The service was good. Since we had a large party, I can't really judge the ambience. I would recommend going again, and we will go the next time we visit Ocracoke.

Really great experience yet again! I came in with my dog, patio was nice and shaded, the waiter was very tentative to keeping his water bowl full. Even after he spilled it. Waiter in general was spectacular I wish I remembered his name. Realistically I would give a 4.5 stars, mainly due to having to wait 15 minutes for a table when I was sitting alone with my dog, and there were several open tables when I arrived. It's not a huge deal as I understand places may be understaffed, but it did seem like a while to wait. Food was amazing and I will definitely be back again!

Great food and the friendliest service on the island. Food was delivered promptly and was all perfect. Bathrooms were clean and updated- huge plus.

Had a very nice experience. Sat outside in the courtyard, which was very nice. Our server was very personable. Food quality was great.

First time dining in Ocracoke and we came across this hidden gem. We have life threatening food allergies so it's always a challenge to find something to eat that is safe. The hostess and the waitress were wonderful taking extra steps to ensure that our food was safe. We ordered black bean soup (Bowl) and it was delicious! Grilled cheese and French fries were fresh and yummy. Poke bowl was lacking in flavor - needed something more to it. Fried green tomatoes appetizer was fantastic - so fresh and flavorful. Steak and crab meat was ok, just average. Sweet tea and Chocolate milk on the small side and no refills. We would return as the service was so kind and helpful. We love supporting local businesses too.

Visited on a Sunday night and it was a little busy. The service was slow, but it could have been because our waiter seemed to have the entire bar side to himself and had several large tables. Teas were empty for a while. We tried one of the specials with a NY Strip and blackened shrimp and it was very tasty, but came with a price tag of $42 which I felt is a little steep. One steak came out cooked correctly at medium, but the med rare came out really rare and had to be sent back and took a while to get back. We had the shrimp ceviche - which was amazing! The banana bread topped with ice cream and caramel sauce was pretty great. Over all good experience, maybe staffing up a little would have been helpful. I'd return if ever in the area again.

How Do You Make Perfect Better?? We were a party of 4 when we arrived for dinner at around 7:30. We started with drinks. They had the most generous wine pour we have ever experienced. Wow. We were seated right away. Our server, Patrick, was right there to share the specials on the menu and answer several questions we had. The decor was lovely and considerably more upscale than other eating place in Ocracoke. White table cloths and all. But the atmosphere was definitely still friendly and homey. We each had a different menu item and they were all great. Again, the servings were very generous. The red drum was delish as was the fried mackerel. It's on our list for the next adventure to Ocracoke for sure.

We really enjoyed the ambiance and the Mac n Cheese with shrimp was fabulous. My wife ordered the fried shrimp. The portion was very generous and she loved it.

We had the fish taco and oyster po-boy for lunch. Both were very good and plenty of food. Server, bartender and hostess were very welcoming. Hostess brought a water bowl to out table for our dogs and we all enjoyed the outdoor seating. Nice laidback atmosphere.

Mic drop... must eat on Ocracoke Island. Probably the only restaurant made from scratch ingredients- and you can tell. 1) Fried Green tomato's are MUST! 2) Shrimp tacos.... Alone are so tasty. But the side of beans?... OMGeeeeee! Droool Everything is so fresh and delicious! Will be back...!

Alway great. Nice people, good food, but I do miss the breakfast. Never to be missed when we go to Ocracoke.

Service was really lacking and not at all attentive. We waited over an hour for our entrees to arrive(the restaurant was not even half full). People who were sat after us got their food, ate, and left. No updates or anything as we sat with empty glasses waiting hungrily. The dining area allows dogs, so if you sit outside you may have poorly trained animals scrabbling around you. The dogs eventually did start to look appetizing as the wait continued. When the food finally did arrive it was good. The fish tacos and oysters were good. The shrimp tacos were very disappointing with two medium shrimp in each one. For a 16$ entree three shrimp per taco would be the minimum. The side of beans and rice were surprisingly good.

Delicious steak Oscar with mouth watering mashed potatoes. We enjoyed our waiter . I will say I would appreciate if they wiped down the menus.

We're on the island for the Fourth of July week. We were pleased to see that this restaurant was back open, as we have had good experiences here in the past. I can't review the food because we were not giving the opportunity to dine with them this trip. The restaurant claims to be open for dinner till 9:00, so we were shocked that we were turned away at 8:07. We could have understood if we were a party of 8 trying to checking in at 8:53, but it was just my wife and me. Thinking, maybe we should have made reservations, but they don't take reservations. If you state that you are open till 9:00, be open till 9:00.

Great atmosphere! Overpriced, disappointing food. Store bought frozen fries cold. Macc & cheese-nothing special. Shrimp & grits-"4/10"rating. The waiter emphasized that it was two weeks until they closed for the season-Maybe the reason? Lost my 'vote'.

We had a lovely dinner on the patio under the umbrella. We had our four year old and I especially appreciated the giant brick wall protecting us from the busy road. Jenna our waitress was exceptional and so proactive!! She anticipated our needs and brought refills for drinks without asking. Way to go Jenna!! All of us enjoyed our dinner and the KEY LIME PIE was unbelievable!!

Yes we did go here it was a fantastic dinner and time. Highly recommend this place if you are on the island

Food and service wonderful but the noise level was so loud from the other guests that we could not hear the person beside us talking.