At the southern end of Roanoke Island, a small but mighty fishing community quietly supplies the abundant seafood that stocks the coolers of seafood markets up and down the Outer Banks — and across North Carolina as a whole. The village of Wanchese feels a world away from the bustle of Nags Head and even its island neighbor, Manteo, but here, among the fish houses and boat builders, old-time fishing traditions endure. The children of parents and grandparents who built livelihoods on the water carry on their family legacies. Every day, commercial fishermen bring their catches to the docks at Wanchese, where fish house workers clean and pack the fish. From there, it heads off to markets in Dare County and beyond, or it’s sold directly to consumers on-site. So, when you’re craving fresh shrimp, blue crab, tuna, grouper, and more, make your way to one of these local fish houses or seafood markets where the daily offerings are as fresh as it gets.
Micah Daniels, whose family ties to Wanchese’s fishing industry go back four generations, owns Fresh Catch Seafood with her husband, Matt Huth. Theirs is the only woman-run fish house in Wanchese, and their fleet’s catch comes from the Atlantic and Pamlico Sound. While they offer wholesale across the Eastern Seaboard and supply some local grocery stores, you can shop their fresh product, from tuna loins to swordfish steaks, right in Wanchese. For those returning from charter fishing trips out of Oregon Inlet, Fresh Catch Seafood will trim, portion, vacuum seal, and freeze your catch for your trip back home. Just call them to schedule your drop off.
4331 Mill Landing Road
Wanchese, NC 27981
freshcatchobx.com
Processing and packing the fresh catch on ice is the first order of business when boats arrive in Wanchese. Photography courtesy of Outer Banks Visitors Bureau
No trip to O’Neal’s Sea Harvest is complete without having lunch at the on-site restaurant. Photography courtesy of Outer Banks Visitors Bureau
The biggest fish house in Wanchese, O’Neal’s Sea Harvest (often called just “O’Neal’s”) is a mainstay for Roanoke Islanders and a wholesaler to local restaurants. For those who live off-island, a trip to O’Neal’s is treated as a delicious adventure that includes lunch at their on-site restaurant. The chalkboard menu of daily specials changes with the catch — blackened tuna tacos, fried crab cake sandwich, grilled scallop po’boy — but there are constants, too, including fried shrimp baskets and options for landlubbers, like cheeseburgers and chicken Caesar salads.
618 Harbor Road
Wanchese, NC 27981
onealsseaharvest.com
The Etheridges — (from left) Willie III, IV, and V — continue the family tradition started by Willie II. photograph by Chris Hannant
In the 1970s, Willie R. Etheridge Jr. opened his business on Mill Landing Road in the original location where his father opened Wanchese Fish Company in 1936. Today, it remains a family affair through the work of Mark Vrablic, Willie III, Willie IV, and Willie V, and it’s a go-to supplier for local fish markets, restaurants, and retailers.
4616 Mill Landing Road
Wanchese, NC 27981
(252) 473-5272
This wooden cottage on the highway side of Whalebone Junction began with the Daniels family’s fishing fleet in 1985. Today, Wanchese fishermen bring their catch from the area’s waterways to Whalebone’s docks, where it’s hand-picked for the Nags Head market. Beyond local shellfish and seafood, Whalebone also sources halibut, snow crab, lobster, and other oceanic palate pleasers. Their to-go steamer dinners feed anywhere from one to 10 people; choose one of their combinations, with names like the Nags Header or Islander, or create your own. Plus, their market sells house-made cocktail sauce and compound butters to dress up your feast, along with charcoal, corn, and gator sausage.
101 Grey Eagle Street
Nags Head, NC 27959
whaleboneseafood.com
Across the highway from Jockey’s Ridge State Park, another sight has the potential to turn heads: the great white shark poised over the entrance to Austin Seafood. But don’t be deterred by all those teeth — inside this business that’s been owned by the same family for 65 years, you find only smiles. Crab pot fixtures, buoys, and black-and-white photographs of the Outer Banks serve as both decor and tribute to the family’s close ties to where their fish comes from. Before opening their market, they ran fish houses. Today, you can purchase scallops, shrimp, mahi-mahi, and more caught by Wanchese fishermen, along with the Austins’ popular to-go steamers and lunchtime fried platters and sandwiches.
3711 South Croatan Highway
Nags Head, NC 27959
austinseafoodco.com
While the jewel-toned assortment of fish fillets arranged over ice satisfies most shopping needs, locals know to visit Greentail’s around lunch. The day’s menu could feature tuna bites tossed with stir-fried noodles or a crispy grouper burrito — daily specials change depending on the day’s selection — but the Hawaiian-style poke is always available and is definitely not to be missed. The seafood all comes from Wanchese fishermen and fish houses, where co-owner Bryan Whitehurst works closely with the fishermen to source what’s fresh and in season.
3022 S. Croatan Highway
Nags Head, NC 27959
greentailsobx.com
Follow Colington Road off U.S. Highway 158 to Colington’s marsh islands. Just across the first bridge, Billy’s all-brick grocery has been a staple for residents and visitors since 1971. You can shop for local flounder, soft shells, shrimp, blue crabs, clams, and oysters, depending on availability, alongside other groceries you might need for dinner, plus fishing supplies and wine and beer. Don’t leave without grabbing a container (or two) of their homemade tuna salad.
1341 Colington Road
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948
billysseafoodobx.com
SHRIMP. The giant red letters on the sign out front do all the talking for this landmark seafood market. Located in Kitty Hawk’s Shoreside Center, Carawan Seafood Company has served local seafood out of a family-run building since 1980. They clean and pack the fish and shellfish themselves, where the selection includes mainstays like tuna, salmon, and swordfish, along with seasonal catches, from rockfish and scallops to oysters. They also keep steamed shrimp, crab legs, and blue crabs (when available) at the counter for the easiest-ever seafood dinner (if you want them hot, be sure to call earlier in the day).
5424 North Croatan Highway
Kitty Hawk, NC 27949
carawanseafood.com
Pick up a fillet of mahi-mahi and homemade appetizers and side dishes at Dockside ’N Duck. photograph by Chris Hannant
This sage-green cottage-style business on the Duck Boardwalk has been in business for close to 40 years. Open from April until October, it’s a go-to for fresh seafood for locals and seasonal vacationers in Duck and Corolla. You can purchase Currituck Sound blue crab, grouper, swordfish, and more by the bushel or pound, along with other Atlantic swimmers, like mussels, lobsters, and salmon. However, their prepared items (think: home-baked breads, tomato pie, and shrimp dip) and takeout steamer pots are customer favorites (just be sure to give at least two hours’ notice if you want a steamer pot).
1216 Duck Road
Duck, NC 27949
docksidenduckseafood.com
For decades, a remote piece of Currituck County has been a respite for wildlife. Now under the protection of conservationists, this land, the waters surrounding it, and the skies above will remain a constant in our coastal circle of life.
On North Carolina’s coast, boardwalks wind alongside our sounds, rivers, and beaches, reminding us that the journey is often just as delightful as the destination.
From Wanchese to Duck, these landmark businesses and the families who run them connect consumers with the daily catch.
As the sun sets at Grandfather Mountain, fireflies put on a magnificent show — for those willing to stop and pay attention.
