Fish Heads Bar & Grill

Don't turn into the parking lot! Park on the median on the right just before you turn in. The lot is angled parking with no outlet. It makes for some challenging driving when you have your crew of people. Park along the road before you get in. Okay now to the place...its awesome! They have a ton of outdoor seating but like today it was too windy to accommodate so they had everyone inside. Its a great busy beach bar. Plenty of beer options. They have seating that can accommodate larger parties it seems. Wait time is about 15-30 mins on busy times. No dogs allowed on the pier. Photos are of the coconut shrimp basket and the crab cake sandwich. Both were awesome. The shrimp came out steaming hot! The crab cake was amazing. My partner got the fish sandwich, I didn't get a photo but I swear they put both fillets on the sandwich.

Amazing atmosphere. One of our favorite places to have lunch every year. The happy hour shrimp and fish tacos are outstanding. Can’t beat the ocean breeze and cold beer! The staff are excellent and friendly. Highly recommended Fish Heads. FYI…Parking can be difficult at times, so we walk.

Great food and atmosphere, right on the pier! Really cool place on the pier with seating inside or out. Tons of beer options. There’s also wines and some mixed drinks. Service is really friendly. Just a great beach vibe!

Enjoyed lunch in scenic environment. Food was hot and fresh. Staff was very fast and accommodating. Weather was windy but was able to eat away from conditions. Enjoyed watching the fishing from the pier too!

Best waterfront bar atmosphere. Food ranges from simple (hotdogs) to delicious (medium rare ahi sandwich). Huge draft selection—no hard liquor on premises. Beautiful day, the water was amazing! As usual, service was great. Note: they are closed Monday/Tuesday.

I regret not taking a picture of my sandwich, and I highly recommend the grilled fish sandwich. My husband had the seared tuna sandwich and my son had the fried fish basket. No complaints at all about anything. Very casual, during the day some of the folks had no shoes on with their swimsuits and only a cover-up. Cheerful wait staff, prompt service, delicious food. We will be back... a lot! The included pictures aren't of our lunch, but are of a sea turtle we observed from their fishing pier, where you're welcome to enjoy your beer as you fish or stroll.

Ok, the food was ok. Hamburger was a frozen variety. Not bad but not fresh. The fries were some of the best I've had in awhile. Someone in that kitchen knows what to do to potatoes. My wife's bbq nachos would have been better if all the chesse hadn't been on the bottom of the plate. Again they weren't bad, just all the chesse made the bottom chips soggy. The waitress was good. It should be noted that we ate during a downpour. She still checked on us regularly. THE highlight of this place is being able to eat while looking out over the ocean. It is the coollest thing. Great views. It makes this place worth a try.

Such a cool experience! Nice bar and pier seating. Beautiful views with excellent staff and service. Even has a gift shift!

This place is so fun! If the weather is nice, it's awesome big getting to sit overlooking the ocean (but it's all outdoors, so skip it if the weather isn't cooperating). I got the shrimp tacos, which were huge and really delicious. My mom's crab cake was almost 100% crab. Service was really efficient. I can tell why this place is so popular! Casual beach vibes, great food, fun atmosphere.

Excellent: Vibe, the shrimp happy hour special, view and location right on the beach! Not so great: The nachos! Not enough cheese and the pico tasted off! Would come back for the shrimp and the overall vibe!

We stopped in on one of our several trips between the airport and our house in Salvo. This was a welcoming place to stop after a long drive, and before returning to the craziness of sharing one house with nearly two dozen family. In this context, Fish Heads was perfect! This is a pier, with bar and a few tables, overlooking a beach full of people enjoying foiling boards, kite flying, and just playing in the sand with their kids. The menu is moderate, but fun. We tried fish and shrimp tacos, which were nicely done, and not too overpriced, given the setting. We didn't try the liquor menu, as we had been out all day and getting tired, but it looked appropriate to the setting. The staff was polite and efficient. Friendly, but not overly so with the mass of people coming and going, and waiting in line. The other patrons were typical beach bar folks. Very much about their own company and stories, and quite loud even for an outdoor restaurant. It's a bar, of course. ;-)

Coming to eat or to be eaten alive? My gosh... the mosquitoes here were insufferable. Went here on a Friday evening. The place was packed and we were given an estimated 45 minute wait but were seated in 25. We walked the pier and watched the folks fishing prior to being seated, which was a nice pass time. The whole space was kind of shack style where there was roofing but no windows closing you in. Mosquitos were just going to town on all the diners. While this in itself was a bother, the wait staff's reactions were what were more disappointing. We asked if we could get bugs spray to which our server said they could not provide any. Yet the table next to us received bug spray from their server. When we went to apply the bug spray, staff told us to spray it elsewhere while the other party at the table over was not given any instruction to do so even as they applied bug spray within the establishment and the mist did spread. Finally our server profusely apologized to the table next to us for the bug situation when they were leaving but completely ignored us when we were on our way out. Anyone paying attention could notice the difference in treatment... pretty blatant racism in my view and definitely would not support dining at this establishment. Food was also not good - on its own it would be a 2.5/5 at best. I tried the fish tacos. The tortillas were not warmed, the pico de gallo was just chopped veggies and not a salsa at all, and the fish was far over salted and extremely oily. Came with a side of rice which was dry, hard, and unseasoned. I did not try anything else, but the menu items were super overpriced as they charge for each add on for burgers and sandwiches.

There were a lot of positives here and a few negatives but overall it's a solid restaurant! Positives: shrimp happy hour is a great deal! Super messy but wonderful for the price. Their salad bowl was fantastic and staff was very nice! Negatives: parking is definitely a nightmare and you need to get there early to get a spot. They charge for every single add on you can get. I got a crab cake sandwich with non of the toppings but asked for sauce on the side and it was $2, which is ridiculous. The crab cake was good but was pretty small for what it should have been on the sandwich and was cooked pretty dark. Overall, it's a great place for happy hour and good food just be careful asking for anything extra.

TLDR: Beautiful view, decent food, and okay service. Be weary of upcharges. Often busy so arrive early. We arrived around 4:30 pm and a table for 8 took about 20 min. Food: Okay food. Side salad, taco bowl, and happy hour shrimp were the best items. Fried fish was too sweet, sweet potato fries were overcooked, and the crab cake lacked flavor. The crab cake did have the perfect texture and ample salad to accompany it. Drinks: good flavor, limited options, mainly beer. I liked the agave margarita and pain killuh. We ordered drinks at the outdoor bar while waiting for our table. The bartender was efficient. Prices: reasonable prices for a seafood restaurant in OBX, but with lots of upcharges. Most of the upcharges are listed on the menu. Some we did not realize until paying the check. For instance, one member of our party is gluten free. Fish heads only has a couple gluten free items and use flour tortillas for the tacos. Therefore, we ordered the tacos over rice, blackened, and with guacamole. The upcharges for blackened and guacamole were expected. Then the rice was $2 (even though it replaced the tortillas). Plus remoulade sauce was an extra charge. One of our party didn't receive the toppings that originally came with the item, but was charged extra for asking for remoulade sauce. Location: excellent, you dine right on the pier with beautiful views of the ocean. Plan to bring sunscreen or cover up since you may be seated in the sun. Also some of the benches open up to the water so made sure phones, purses, and other items are secure. Service: okay, they are usually busy so you may need to ask for water refills and forgotten items. Our waitress was nice and our food came out quickly. Parking: deep, thin parking lot located in front of the restaurant. This lot fills up quickly and is challenging to turn around in. Public beach access parking lot adjacent is also usually full. Street parking is available nearby.

We loved the View! The food was pricey and we all felt sick after. Service was decent. They only serve beer and wine (not a full bar) Only order what is on the menu- any changes and they charge you! No gluten- charge extra, no dairy want a replacement- charge extra.

Best beachy OBX vibes, good food, and friendly service even on a busy holiday weekend. Cannot ask for anything more. The cool ceiling not only has colorful koozies but also fans. This is a better lunch spot than dinner IMO being on the fishing pier. Enjoyed my fish tacos and the loaded fries. 10-10 recommend.

Fish Head Bar and Grill is a yearly must for us. Sitting Oceanside with a meal never disappoints. The nachos with chili are always a hit, and the coconut shrimp and fresh tuna bites were spot on. Service is great, and the atmosphere is laid-back. They have a solid selection of wine, beer, and sake cocktails. The bar out front is convenient while you wait, and live music in the evenings adds a nice touch. Always a favorite!

Know what you are going for, and we were coming for the 20 cents shrimp and beach bar vibe, and that's exactly what we got in spades. No, they don't have cocktails, but they have tons of beers on tap, seltzers, cider, and you can get sangria, Prosecco, and margaritas on tap. Don't come here if you are looking for a $16 craft cocktail. I wish every bar had a bartender like Jonathan. He scanned the bar constantly and made sure everyone had what they needed. Food is beach bar food, and it was top notch and comes out quickly.

Sweet Beach Bar next to the beach in OBX! Good beach food and cold drinks to cool off after a great day at the beach! The fish is very fresh and tasty! The tuna bites were awesome!

5 star for location if the weather is good. Bar right on beach. Everything else food, drinks, service not so much.

First time eating there after a few years. Always went there for the ambiance and the food was meh. Glad we tried it again. The menu is much expanded with such a variety. They also expanded their seating so there are tons of optima to sit out on the pier. I had the seared tuna on a proof bun. Asked for a side of their sauce they serve on the wicked tuna. Perfectly cooked! Everything was an up charge (sauce $1) but I didn't care. Service was friendly. My friend had to wicked tuna tacos which she liked a lot. Be prepared for it to be windy! Will be back - this time with my family.

Definitely come for the view, but if you want stellar food I'd go elsewhere. We got here on a Wednesday evening and it was so busy...waited almost an hour for our table and over an hour to get our food once we were seated. Service was friendly enough but a little slow (they were quite busy though, so not holding that against them). The pier is great and we enjoyed walking around and taking in the views while waiting for a table. They serve beer and wine only, and the menu is pretty simple. We got an appetizer of coconut shrimp that was pretty good and came out fairly quickly, but the rest of our meals did not. I ordered the grilled fish catch of the day (rockfish a sandwich) and other members of our party got the burger of the day and crabcake and a side of fries. The grilled rockfish was good (I got the blackened seasoning which had a nice flavor) but I was told the burgers and crabcakes were not great, and the fries were very cold. All in all a decent time but I would try another of the many OBX establishments for dinner in the future.

Fish heads was awesome! We were sat immediately even though we came during lunchtime rush! The view was beautiful! The service was great and fried shrimp was delicious! Will visit again!

This place never disappoints. This is the 2nd time eating here and the food is always so good. We got the Blackened Tuna sandwich and my wife got the Blackened Tuna Tacos. Both were so good. The staff was very friendly and you can't beat the view!! We also got a Painkilluh and was very good. Would highly recommend. If you are coming with a large group get there early. Great happy hour too!!

Been coming to Fish Heads for a while now and last nights trip was no exception to their consistent great service and food! We always have a great experience with the staff who are friendly, though with the view it almost wouldn't matter. Sitting on the pier especially during the evening is wonderful! Though it may take a wait to get in, yesterday we waited 30-45 minutes but it can get longer. We went around 4:30 pm for an early dinner which was perfect. Drinks served out front while you wait. Food is always fantastic here! I've gotten a few different things but my favorite so far is the coconut shrimp basket with sweet potato fries. Great sauce to go with it too! I also recommend the nachos, and the agave margarita. :)

We loved this place. The food was really good. It's really busy but you don't wait long for your food/drinks at all. There was a bit of a wait to get a table (30 minutes) but I appreciated that they had a bar upfront to serve those who were waiting. Beer selection was huge

Positives: location, location, location. It's a divey locals beach bar which is great as far as we're concerned. Great place for happy hour drinks. Amazing views. Good selection of beers. This place gets SLAMMED. And it gets LOUD. Try to be patient with your servers. The crowd can be overwhelming. Parking can be a problem. Arrive early if you can. Negatives: Food is a bit pricey and just ok. Beer and wine no liquor.

The place is cool. Right on the ocean. Visited during the off season, slow night. Food tased good, but portion sizes for the fish and shrimp baskets were tiny! Maybe we're just used to the Alabama shrimp baskets. Here, the shrimp are tiny and there were 9 in the basket. Not enough to feed a retired Army 10th Mountain man. The fish was excellent; but, again, it wouldn't fill up a man. 4 small filets. $16.99 each! Plenty of fries tho, so I guess they're cutting costs by adding more fries and cutting the number of meats. ‍ I even asked the waiter and he cringed, shrugged, and never came back until the bill was presented.

Service was nothing special, we ordered a lb of steam shrimp, it's something we would reorder in future visits. Unfortunately we didn't get a picture of it but we also got a beef burger and chili cheese fries. Weather was pretty good so we sat outside & enjoyed the view while eating good food.

The food is great, drinks are great, service is excellent. Great location, sometimes the loud music is a little much, but other than that, it's an amazing beach side spot. I usually set up my umbrella on the beach and just walk up to get some drinks and food.

Another great afternoon lunch at fish heads. We had the margarita and painkiller drinks. Can't beat the fish tacos! Great way to finish our vacation

I visited here in October on vacation with my husband for lunch. The food was very good. For entrees, I got blacken grilled fish tacos. However, the star of the show for me were the shrimps! I especially enjoyed the 1/2 lb of shrimp we had for an appetizer. The seasoning was on point! I could have eaten that as a meal. We will definitely be back and order more shrimp next time! Pro Tip: If you get lost easily like me the entrance to the restaurant may be a little confusing as there is gift shop before the restaurant seating. The host counter is on the left side of the building before you past the gift shop. The host will take you past the gift shop to sit.

My hubby and I got items to take on the beach with us. Good service and excellent food.

Fantastic atmosphere and great tacos. Love this spot to grab a beer and sit on the pier!

Great, affordable food, all with a view. This iconic pier fare is a must do on your eating tour of OBX. Don't forget the $.20 shrimp happy hour. We will return.

We stopped in for a late lunch on a Saturday. They were packed, but only had to wait 20 minutes for a table... Not bad! We ordered fish tacos, fried shrimp, and tuna bites. Everything was on point and hit the spot. The vibe here is fun too, located on the beach, it's super casual. Definitely recommend checking this bar out next time you are on Nags Head!

10/10 food and service Loved the outdoor seating Definitely recommend getting the nachos

Love Gary and his family who own the spot. Been coming here for years now! Always accommodating to our large 18+ group when we visit, service is good considering it's difficult to find people to work out here and food never disappoints.

If you want to look at the beach and water while you eat in Nag's Head, this is the place! We had a great time sitting on the pier enjoying our lunch and even got to hear a bit of the live music that they offer! Good "bar food" and friendly service.

If you're looking for an amazing view, look no further!!! The food however; very low quality. But remember, this is a fishing pier (there's no chef on staff) so don't expect the quality to be any better than a bowling ally or 7-11 burrito. Way too much bread (stale /old bread) on sandwiches. The lower your food expectations, the better, and you will enjoy, so set your food-expectations very low!! Service amazing!!

Everything was great. The Tuna Bites, Fish Basket, salads, Tuna Bites, Grilled Tuna sandwich, southwest egg rolls, Tuna Bites and a ton of great brews. A couple of us went for lunch and then a large group went back for dinner. The staff was funny and attentive. They are closed Monday and Tuesday, I can't wait for Wednesday to come.

We ordered the fried shrimp basket and the fried fish basket. Both baskets came with a side of Cole slaw and fries. The food came out quickly. I thought it was fried really well and i really enjoyed my meal. We stopped by for a late lunch and the parking lot was full. It was really nice sitting on the pier for our meal. Good food and great atmosphere! Will definitely return

Worst hostess bar ever! So rude when u walk in Until you leave!!! The view was amazing but the food was 5/10 you should go if you want rude to service, and a good view!! if you had a bad back and needed chairs, they were not helpful whatsoever. Waiter was !!! I will not be going back to the establishment.

Bit of a wait on opening day, but good service at the bar. Waited about 30 minutes for four chairs to open up. All of the staff were very friendly. The nachos were so good, but be prepared for add ons. We got just regular nachos which comes with queso, pico, and lettuce. I wanted to add jalapeños and sour cream, but didn't want to pay the couple bucks for the add ons. Honestly the nachos didn't need anything else. I got the fish tacos ($1 extra for blackened), and we also got the fries which are battered. Cool dive bar-esque restaurant, with fresh bar food. Will definitely be back, but wouldn't wait more than 30 minutes for a table.

Highly recommend coming here for lunch or dinner! Beautiful location, great service and tasty food for a reasonable price! I ordered the tuna steak salad and that deserves a 10/10. Extremely fresh, filling and delicious. I returned a few days later for their shrimp happy hour, but was told it was an hour wait. Arrive early if you plan on doing that!

Better fishing on this dock than the other one. Nice drink variety, good menu, good food, great service, fast and casual. Lovely patio outside next to the ocean. We especially loved the shrimp platter and the southwest egg rolls. There's something for everyone at Fish Heads. I even got a t shirt!! Love it here.

First time here and first time at/in/on the outer banks. Sorry the "OBX". Kinda hard to beat the views. Service was very pleasant. Good crowd and it had a very relaxing feel to it. Fried shrimp was on point and the Mrs liked the fries. "Yes I did actually, they were very good and crispy." The beer I thought was pretty cheap ($4) for the location. The one thing - no mixed drinks.

Waited for a while for dinner here during busy time but you can get drinks at the bar in the waiting area which is right on the beach! Once we got seated, we sat right by the pier. Windy and a little cool and our table was very close to a large family with screaming kids which was unfortunate. But the views were awesome!! We ordered nachos which came in literally less than 5 minutes. Got the pork bbq addition which was very good. I ordered fish (mahi) tacos. Never had a fish taco till Fish Heads. Pretty good!! My friends enjoyed the food too and I felt that the prices were pretty reasonable for what we got. Food came out so quick we couldnt believe it was ours. They also had live music and a little gift/bait shop inside!

This place was on the dock overlooking the ocean. It was kind of loud as it had live music playing, and of course loud bar folks- to be expected though, not complaining. The service was just ok, the waitress we had wasn't super attentive and her personality was vanilla. Anyhow, the food itself was good, I got the grilled shrimp tacos, nachos as an appetizer, and my husband got the crab cake sandwich. The only downside is there is no kids menu so keep that in mind- it's not great for families. A good time for adults though.

I was visiting outer banks, (nags head) and this happened to be the first restaurant I went to. It started great, although the wait can get a bit long sometimes depending on what time you go. The food came really fast, and was really good! The ambiance was great, and had an AMAZING view of the beach/ ocean. I highly recommend!

Amazing food and great service! Really affordable pricing for what you are getting compared to other local spots. Great view of the ocean as well! Voted the best and I can see why

LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! Amazing bar tenders with quick service & awesome food. We've never had any problem sitting at the outdoor bar & getting a quick drink or app to eat. Basically all the seating is outside but the bar is completely shaded which is nice after a beach day. A must when in or near nags head!

This spot is perfect if you're in the mood for some quick yet good quality seafood. I had the fish and chips and it was to die for. Our waiter was very kind despite us coming in with about 15 minutes until close. He brought out the check with our food just like we asked, we didn't want to hold anyone up! Live music was great, and it's a great family friendly atmosphere despite it being a bar. Loved to see everyone enjoying themselves in front of the band on the pier. Will definitely return!

I really wanted to like Fish Heads, but it was a little chaotic. So many people running around. It is a very popular establishment and was recommended to us by a number of people. I got the Happy Hour shrimp special and was disappointed in the size of our shrimp. I wanted to get another order but felt like we were rushed to eat and get out. My husband got the Bbq Sandwich and said it was good, but nothing special. I hated they didn't have anything designated for kids. Buying a toddler an adult sized sandwich was a waste of our money. Being on the pier was awesome and our server was great, but overall our experience was underwhelming.

This was the only photo I got to take because as soon as the food came out, is smelled amazing, and it tasted even better than it smelled. We got the heat nachos and they all he tuna tacos and let me just say that it is marinated so well that we could not stop thinking about it our entire trip. We took this trip two years ago until this day. My fiancé still brings it up occasionally that it's the best tacos he's ever had in his life. It wasn't too busy when we got there and we got really good seats right beside the boats and we got to see the fish in the water while we ate her dinner. It was a really nice coastal vibe.

Excellent location right on the water!! Coconut shrimp is delicious and the nachos are great with the chili on top. Fries are awesome but eat them fast if the plastic windows are open so they stay hot! Wonderful beach grill and bar!

Stop here!! Great views and food! Had grilled shrimp tacos and grilled fish tacos and SO good. The homemade remoulade on the shrimp was yummy. Fantastic service. Lots of beer to choose from. Only issue is parking since shares lot with pier and fills quickly with people fishing but we lucked out and found someone leaving.