Mama Kwan's Tiki Bar & Grill

It's a little confusing with 2 identical named buildings beside each other for new comers. Our service was good considering how busy it was in the off season. The restaurant was clean and nicely decorated to fit their theme. The drinks from the bar were very tasty. The food came out hot and made correctly. The blackened mahi was my favorite. Pricing was high for the garbage plate when we ordered it with mahi instead of tuna or chicken. We were charged for a full side of Mahi, making it almost a $30 entree. Overall the experience and food were good and we look forward to coming back.

This was our first visit, but we'd had many friends recommend this place. They were right. The food was excellent & plentiful. Our server was very good... friendly & attentive. We will definitely be back!! If you stop in soon, check out all the great Halloween decorations... especially the animated Frankenstein statue!!

I had the fish tacos and they were wonderful! They came with cabbage, scallions, grated cheese and a lovely lime sauce and Jasmine rice. It's a cute little restaurant with a beachy vibe.. My husband had a chicken sandwich and fries and he said they were very good also. I also had a yummy pina colada!

This place was nice. The staff is very tentative and clean up well. For apps they good Good poutine and Good onion rings. ranch dressing was yummy. Nice Xmas decoration Good atmosphere Moderate noise

Went to Mama Kwan's one evening over Labor Day weekend for dinner. We didn't have a reservation so we tried to order take out. Since they were very busy, they were not doing take out orders so we waited about 40 minutes for a table. Once seated, we went ahead and ordered our food. We went with the Garbage Plate (add chicken) and Sesame Grilled Chicken. Both entrees came out quickly and tasted great. We also ordered some Honey Jerk Chicken Tenders to go. They definitely get the food out quickly and get you in and out fast. Great experience at Mama Kwan's.

We've heard rave reviews of this place, but there was always a wait. Finally visited twice earlier this month, and we understand the raves (and why there's usually a wait). Great food, creative menu choices.

Great local stop for amazing island themed food. Service was fast and staff were friendly. We enjoyed the coconut shrimp plate and Hawaiian Pork plate. Very good!!! Plenty of seating and lots of fun decor to look at. We will definitely be stopping by again our next trip. Plenty of parking and lots of seating. Fun for the whole family. The prices were very good and the portion sizes were generous.

We loved our time at Mama Kwan's. There was a little bit of wait, ~45 mins, but there was a big car show going on and we went at peak time. Still though, there were drinks available at the bar and plenty of seating outside while we waited. Once we got our table, the server was quick and friendly. Our food was fantastic, too! The souvenir glasses and cups are definitely a nice touch. The Crispy Ginger Shrimp appetizer was out favorite!!

Heard a lot of good things about this place from various Facebook Groups, decided to try it out. The wait was long but we ended up just sitting at the bar immediately. I got a cocktail in an adorable souvenir cup. We ordered the Honey Jerk Chicken Fingers for our appetizer. I got the Coconut Shrimp Platter, and my boyfriend got the Fish Tacos. Best Fish Tacos we've ever had!! Everything was absolutely delicious and the service was amazing. It was actually so good that we went back for dinner a second time on the last night of our vacation.

This extremely popular seafood restaurant is so busy that they won't answer their phones much of the time, and there is a line to get in, unless you go off hours (when it will still be busy). It's clearly popular for a reason, and the tiki-bar theme is no doubt part of it. We ordered two salads to-go (as we didn't want to wait to sit down). The fish taco salad was reasonably good with plentiful chunks of fish and a smattering of corn chips. The oriental chicken salad was quite good - very tasty, with a fresh grilled chicken breast. We liked them both. But I have to say, that when salads are $17 and $15 respectively, I expect each salad to be a meal - and while the taste was great, the portion size was too small, and I was left wanting more to eat. In the oriental chicken salad, there was plenty of chicken, but just not much salad material (and let's face it, salad is pretty inexpensive, so a larger portion would have been trivially provided). Similarly, the fish taco salad came up short on the amount of salad. Who wants to be hungry after you've finished your meal? So what could have been a 5-star review, ends up a 4-star review because of inadequate portion size. Mama's could easily remedy this by including more salad in these salads.

This award winning OBX spot can get packed and for good reason. The food here is yummy. We did have to wait a little before being seated, but there was outdoor seating we could wait on. When we were seated, service was a bit slower because they were packed. This didn't bother my party, but it's good to note if you're in a rush. We were also there during a busier season. I, of course, ordered Mama's World Famous Fish Tacos. I enjoyed them. My friend who has a family home here always gets them and highly recommended them. I'm glad to have ordered it. My friends loved their mango margs. If you want some yummy seafood, Mama Kwan's is the spot for you.

An ok restaurant for the tourist location. Go for the experience and not necessarily for a tasty meal. The motif and service are awesome. The decorations are cool and has an island vibe. The service is super awesome, friendly and responsive. The wait can be long though especially at standard meal times. The food is nothing special and just ok. We had the jerk chicken soft tacos and the chicken was dry. We also had the pork plate which had average quality meat and a bit sweet. A plus is that the serving size is quite large. The bar drink we ordered was ok.

First time trying Mama Kwan's. It was delicious! It was a tad busy for 2pm so it was hard getting our servers attention, but she had other employees nearby ready to help with refills and such. I got the Fish Tacos. The waitress highly recommended the Mahi Mahi blackened, and it was worth the up charge. I had never had fish tacos that were not already constructed, but I wasn't hating. I could put more or less on my taco as I wanted. My husband got the honey jerk flavored wings and he said they were really good and filling! We also got a basket of onion rings for the table, and I wish I had ordered 2! They were flavored so well and not to much bread. They were really really good! Highly recommend this place. We will be back for sure to try other things on the menu.

food was pretty good, wish there was more outdoor seating available. Waitress was also a little hard to flag down. But overall, the food was good, probably wouldn't recommend during busy hours, as the wait time is a little longer. wished the fish had more seasoning, it was quite bland.

Visited this place twice in our yearly one week trip since I couldn't believe we haven't tried it until this year! Mama Kwans has great service, a warm atmosphere, and amazing food & drinks! I loved both the tacos and nachos, and we tried a few of their drinks - which if you didn't know, you can collect glasses by ordering one of their special souvenir glass drinks! A great bar for late night drinks and food, or a sweet spot for lunch and dinner. Definitely will be back!

Our party of 8 (4 adults/4 kids) arrived at around 4:45 on a Monday and were seated within 10 minutes. The hostess and waitstaff were very friendly. Several of us got drinks. There were some local craft beers to choose from and cocktails (many of which you got to keep the nice Tiki glass). Those that had the cocktails said the glass was the best part, but I was happy with my beer choice. My wife enjoyed Mama's World Famous Fish Tacos, and I was very happy with Mama's Hawaiian Pork Plate. That pork was full of flavor and thinly sliced very well. I upgraded my rice to the Butter Rum Rice which, although just a hint, was nicely flavored. This was my favorite restaurant during my trip to Nags Head and would recommend it to you too.

This place came recommended to us during our trip out to OBX. The place was PACKED but we were able to get two seats at the bar since a nice couple moved down to make room. The place is super cute and well decorated. There are pretty hanging lights and the vibe is very casual and welcoming. You can order fancy cocktails in souvenir cups or just a nice cold draft beer. The food was absolutely delicious and the recommendations made by staff did not disappoint.

We were quickly seated when we arrived. The fish tacos are absolutely delicious! You are able to "build your own" once they are there. You have the choice to get them blackened. Both options are great. Our server was very nice and definitely on top of her game! We had a great experience and the kids enjoyed the cool stuff to look at all around the restaurant. We have been here for years and will always come back.

When you get to OBX a little early, why not grab your first vacation meal at a great spot. Giving off Key West vibes, the vibe and service is on point .. then the food comes out and you're happy you waited an hour to get a seat . Give them a try ... you'll love it. I was also impressed they had a tshirt in my size! SOLD!

Drink Options - Excellent choices esp. for kids Food - Excellent Service - OK - a little slow and not the friendliest waitress After being frequent visitors of the OBX we decided to try Mama Kwan's last week. We really enjoyed the food there!!

The food was amazing and the service was exceptional. This was our first time here but won't be our last!

The food here was excellent. I got the jerk chicken tacos, which were fantastic, my husband got the crab cakes, which were equally great. The drinks were good, too! Highly recommend!

Mama Kwans was recommended by so many people who knew we were going to be spending some time in OBX and they knew what the heck they were talking about. Sadly, the money bag appetizer that we wanted to try is no longer on their menu, but everything else that we had was delicious. We came strictly for drinks and a few appetizers and as soon as we walked in, we were tempted to change the plan and stay for a full meal because everything looked and smelled incredible. Wings - great. Onion rings - great. Shrimp ginger app - also great. All the drinks were perfectly done- strong but also super yummy! We will absolutely be back!

This place gets packed fast or you gonna have to wait. The place has an Asian fusion menu. A little bit of everything for everyone. It's a soak place so seating can be a little right. I had a great experience coming here. Food was delicious.

Mama Kwan's is iconic. Consistently great food and friendly service, we just visited with a family of 10 and everyone enjoyed their meal. We especially loved, the garbage plate, special occasion pasta, coconut shrimp and fish tacos. Their special jalapeño shrimp was spicy, juicy and crispy. The garbage plate with grilled chicken was cooked perfectly, the veggies were grilled and savory and don't skip the marinated cucumbers! Special occasion pasta is my absolute favorite dish. Pene loaded with veggies, and a soy cream sauce that's equal parts umami's and decadent. Mama Kwans is a must visit- pro tip, get there around 5 to avoid a long wait!

Our group wanted something a little different for dinner one night in the OBX. We had seen Mama Kwan's earlier in the day and decided to try it. We arrived and were told the wait would be an hour and a half. We decided to wait because there were only 3 groups ahead of us and we didn't think the wait would be that long. The manager came over several minutes later and told us the wait was closer to 40 minutes. We decided to order frozen drinks for the wait. I had a Nutwacker and hubby had a mango margarita. I loved my drink! It was pretty much a peanut butter chocolate milkshake, very tasty. Hubby's mango margarita was good as well. To our surprise, we were actually seated after only 25 minutes. I ordered the garbage plate with chicken, hubby ordered the mama's Hawaiian pork plate. The cucumber salad and sautéed veggies were simple, fresh and tasty. The jasmine rice was very good with the house teriyaki sauce and pineapple. The chicken was grilled, simply seasoned. Hubby's pork plate was amazing. I would order this if we ever go back. The pork was tender and flavor packed. Both entrees were fresh, healthy and delicious. If you're looking for something different and healthy, give Mama Kwan's a try!

Tried to eat here last year but the wait was too long and it was super hot outside. This year the wait was still an hour but we made it inside. Waitress was very friendly and attentive. The blackened fish tacos were good but having to build them wasn't ideal. My wife ordered the grilled, not blackened fish tacos and hers were just unappetizing. Greasy, white meat like chicken not fish. Hardly seasoned. Definitely make sure you get the blackened. The jerk chicken taco meat was tasty. The cabbage and rice served with the tacos was very boring and the cheese was just shredded Colby Jack cheese. Margarita was good. I'ts not worth an hour wait for sure.

Actual rating about a 3.5. The best things - the chocolate cocktail my husband got was like a boozy chocolate milkshake. The blackened fish on his fish tacos was very flavorful. I actually loved the Asian sesame cucumber salad that my coconut shrimp came with - that was my favorite part of the meal, interestingly enough. The coconut shrimp themselves were fine but both needed more coconut and also a different sauce. The teriyaki like sauce they came with is wrong for this dish, coconut shrimp need marmalade. They were cooked properly though. The coconut shrimp dish came with "butter rum rice" which was described as coconut rice and if you got this rice as a side they would charge a whopping $7.99 for it instead of 2.99 for jasmine. But not going to lie, I could only very very slightly tell that there was something else in that rice compared to my husband's jasmine. I could tell a LITTLE BIT but not a $5 difference bit. Only the slightest hint of coconut in the rice and the rice was a little moister than the jasmine which was just plain dry rice. I also ordered the mango margarita but it was only ok. It wasn't sweet enough for my taste, nor was it a very strong pour. It was a large cup so a very filling drink, but I only felt slightly tipsy afterwards. (For comparison, one drink at our favorite happy hour place back home and I'm about 2.5 sheets to the wind.). The service was good, the food came quickly, it definitely has a "You're on vacation" ambience, but it's probably not a must-visit place.

Food was really good and the service was superb! If we lived closer we would be regular customers.

We stopped by around 8 pm on a Tuesday (during off season), meaning we had no issues being seated. The restaurant is definitely small, but super cute with a fun beachy theme. It was clean as well. Our waitress greeted us promptly, brought our drinks out fast, and wasted no time taking food orders. After a long day of traveling, this efficiency was greatly appreciated. I ordered the fish taco salad, while my partner got the fish tacos. He's been coming here on family vacations for years, and the tacos were his favorite. It was my original plan to order them, but after seeing the toppings I decided not to. They come with cabbage, cheese, and lime sour cream dressing as toppings and rice as a side. I decided that those toppings on a taco were unappetizing (where's the heat?) and instead got the salad. It was similar but had more greens and tomatoes. There's big bottles of sriracha on each table, and once I added a big squeeze of that to my dressing, the salad was superb. Overall it was a great meal. My partner loved his tacos and I found my salad very satisfying. The mahi was perfectly cooked and seasoned. We'll definitely find ourselves back here next time we visit OBX.

This is always amazing and great for families and those looking for a quick but quality bite to eat. The service is always fast and kind.

Ambiance was cute with the Tiki Bar theme. Friendly service and yummy food! All food is Hawaiian style and flavorful.

One of my favorite restaurants in the Outer Banks! We had the pork plate, honey jerk chicken tenders Wahini Wipe Out, and Hawaiian iced coffee. The food and Wahini Wipe Out were delicious. The iced coffee had great flavor, but was way too sweet for my liking, but I'd consider getting it again and asking for it less sweet. Get there early! We arrived 10 minutes after they opened and had a 30 minute wait.

Delicious! Super sad the money bags are gone but their new shrimp appetizer was pretty tasty!!

Wonderful dining experience! Great food! Everything we ordered was so flavorful! We even had a toddler with us and he really enjoyed his meal! Highly recommend!

Highly, highly recommend this place!! It was winter time when we visited and they had a wait. If that doesn't tell you anything about this place it should. Such excellent grilled Hawaiian food. The service was on top of it as well with the calling. The drinks was perfect as well with a souvenir cup! Really fun visit and encapsulated the vibe of outer banks! Would come here again

Very friendly service, love Mama Kwan's, unfortunately the food quality was so so. Something was off in the kitchen. That happens. The Tuna Nachos - 3 stars. The fried green beans - 1 star, would not order again. The World Famous Fish Taco (not blackened) - 2 1/2 stars. The Brisket special - 2 1/2 stars; would not recommend the brisket soecial. Sandwich and fries were cold. Coconut shrimp meal - 5 stars. Garage plate - 5 stars.

Found this restaurant based on other Yelp reviews - thank you, Yelpers! We arrived at 5pm for dinner and found a packed restaurant. The host said said the wait would be 25-30 minutes. We ended up waiting only about 10-15 minutes for a table (for our party of six). It is a smaller restaurant than what I expected, but the decor is perfect and they do well with maximizing the space and the seating. The parking lot is small but I noticed they have more parking at the building just south of the restaurant. Our waitress was prompt with our drink and food orders. I had the fish tacos and they were delicious. Two of my kids had burgers.. they were a little charred on the outside but cooked well done like we prefer. We also had the coconut shrimp and a crab cake sandwich. My son commented that the crab cake sandwich had a lot of crab and was very good.

Awesome food awesome service but gets busy quickly, so get there early. Food and drink were amazing! We got the parrot cups and they wrapped 4 individually such that we could travel with them. Highly recommend!

Fun tiki bar vibes at Mama Kwan's! This was our first time here for dinner, and it was worth the 40 minute wait! For appetizers we got the pork wontons, jerk chicken tenders and tuna nachos. Pork wontons & chicken tenders were great! We wanted to try the Thai money bags, but they were all out for the night. I loved the Hawaiian pork plate & my dad thoroughly enjoyed the big daddy tuna plate! Friendly service! This dinner warranted buying a T-Shirt!

First off the decor was precious. I loved how it really did feel like a tiki bar. The special drinks that you could take home were nice and unexpected. Also of course I have to talk about the food. I got for lunch the Mama's Hawaiian Pork Plate and it was very delicious! Outside of the pork I really enjoyed the cucumber salad. We will definitely be back next time we vacation in this area.

What a great place! We love the Tiki vibe anyway but Mama Kwans is off the chain! The murals and decor are top notch and the owner is like family. The service is second to none The mixed drinks that come in their collectable tiki glasses are delicious . The food is beachy with Asian flair. It's fresh and tangy and leaves you wanting MORE I implore you to try this OBX . You will NOT be disappointed!!!

Keep it up!!!! Great everything!!! Love this spot!!!!! Great food! Great staff!!!! we love coming beee!!!!

If you like unseasoned food this is the spot for you ! Honestly I was very disappointed because there was a huge line so I was assuming the food was going to be out standing but was completely disappointed Service was great! But that's about it

Ate here twice in our last trip to Nags Head. Can't wait to get back! Great seafood and also good for carry out.

Mama kwans is our family must go to whenever we are near. It's just a cute bar and grill! Love their pork plate! It's delicious! We went in a large group and they were able to fit us in. They are always busy!! And don't forget to get a shirt!!!

The blackened fish tacos are fabulous and very generous portion! We sat at the bar on both visits and the bartenders were top notch and also generous! Outstanding dive bar vibe, but it's small, so go early or prepare for a bit of a wait that is so worth it!

I can only speak for the "World Famous Fish Tacos" but for being "world famous" they were mediocre at best. The only part of the meal that had something special to it was the blackened fish which was exactly that. The accoutrements were literally straight out of the bag that they came from. Mexican cheese blend, literally plain cabbage and some white rice. Even the tortillas were just plain Mission flour tortillas. I think coconut rice would have at least added something. Not sure why these are so acclaimed as there was literally nothing special about them. As for the ambiance, the place was nice but was crowded and loud which should be expected. I wish we would have tried some other dishes, but first impression- was you had to get the fish tacos. I think I would try the Garbage plate and coconut shrimp instead. Overall- mediocre at best

We've noticed this place in our past trips but this was our first try. Really great and fresh tuna in two different entrees. I had mine just seared with the Garbage Plate and it melted and was tasty and strong but not at all fishy. Hubby had a gigantic portion entree. Service was good; atmosphere a bit like a local pub. Lots of locals at the bar. Highly recommend if you're not a fan of typical touristy fried seafood drivel.

I came here for lunch with some friends, and we sat out on the patio since we had a dog with us. Love that it's pet friendly. I had been excited to try this place because I love Asian fusion/Hawaiian inspired food. I ordered the mahi mahi fish tacos (blackened) and was not disappointed. I normally don't eat fish tacos (I prefer meat) but these were fantastic. Good seasoning and good portion of fish. I also ordered the Thai money bags but heads up, they have a new recipe (was told this) and they looked more like shrimp wrapped in spring roll wrapper with a bit of ginger inside. The ambiance is fun inside but the patio is great when the weather is nice. Loved that many of the drinks come with fun tiki mug or plastic keepsake mug options. Can't wait to come back and try more! Our waitress was friendly and checked on us often. This place has it all.

The pasta is great! This place is pricey like most OBX restaurants but the pasta is in a super large portion!

Stopped here on a bar crawl for a friends 21st birthday. Food came quick and drinks were 10/10!

Such a fun place! We waited by the bar for our table and the bartenders were friendly and top notch! My painkiller certainly killed the pain. Haha. Food was delicious. Service was courteous. Will def return!

Came in for dinner around 4:30 and seemed to beat the dinner rush! We were seated right away and had wonderful service for ourselves and our toddler. The drink menu is obviously awesome, I got a Mai Tai and if I had more time would have gone with a frozen drink in a coconut cup I kept seeing everyone order! We had the pasta and the garbage plate- teriyaki sauce was amazing! My husband loved the wings with the jerk sauce on them, my toddler and I shared some fresh crispy onion rings. Hope to come back with some family to hang out at the bar next time!

The chicken wings were a great way to start the meal! We tried the fish tacos, blackened & not & both versions were delicious! The crab cakes were steakhouse level good! The sesame chicken & rice should not be missed! The staff was so kind! Our server was beyond nice! Made each of the 4 teen girls laugh! Go early but it is worth the wait!

Great lunch spot in the outer banks!!! Mexican flavor with island flair... the Hawaiian pork is excellent with great seasoning and the pickles provide a nice counter balance. The trash plate is a good choice if you don't know what you want because it has a little of everything on it. You also can't go wrong with the classic fish or chicken tacos. We really enjoyed our visit and hope to come back soon!

This place has some of the greatest fish tacos and the Big Daddy Tuna plate is always at the top of our list! You can't go wrong with the food here. It can be a busy place but it's worth the wait!