NC Road Trip Epilouge: Dining Delights

We've been home a few days now, recovering from two fun weeks on the road. Combined with earlier trips to the Brunswick Islands and the Currituck Outer Banks this summer, we've pretty much covered the entire NC coast. The thing that stands out most to us is how much coast there is, and how you can make a North Carolina beach vacation anything you want. You can stay in a city, or in a town with no paved roads. You can lounge on a great "people watching" beach, or you can have miles of pristine oceanfront all to yourself. You can have trips based around historic sites, fishing trips, adventure sports, or pure relaxation. You can see wild horses or a World War II battleship. Anything you want on your beach vacation, you can find somewhere in North Carolina, and that's pretty cool.

Now, for the "meat" of this post... food. One of the hardest things about traveling is picking out a place to eat. Everyone has their local favorites, but deciding on your vacation dinner spot can be a bit of guesswork. Well, on this trip we compiled list of a few "can't miss" favorites along the route, and have decided to share them with you.

(A caveat here: We are not, nor will we ever be "foodies", but we know what we like. We also like to wear shorts and sandals during a summer beach vacation... and the one thing in common with all of these places is that they are casual. None of these places are the "white tablecloth" types, but they all had really, really, good food... and that's what's important, right?)

Big Apple Pizza, Havelock - At some point during a road trip, you're gonna have a pizza craving, but picking out a place just by driving past it is a gamble. We got lucky with this little place tucked into a small Food Lion shopping center. Among the best pizza we've had anywhere, anyplace... and we're minor experts on the topic. We had the "Hawaiian" and loved it. The garlic knots were also little bites of doughy heaven.

Flaming Amy's Burrito Barn, Wilmington - A favorite with locals, and it's easy to see why. Huge portions, fresh food, good prices. Dine in or grab a couple of burritos and hit the beach. And there are so many varieties of burritos here that everyone is sure to find something they like. Our favorite is the "Baywatch".

Mack Daddy's, Avon - Looks can be deceiving at this Hatteras Island restaurant... which although still casual, is probably the one on this list to pick if this is the group's "big night out" for the week. The menu ranges from simple fresh seafood to elaborate plates, and the chef has even included wine and beer pairings for each item. We really enjoyed the shrimp and grits here, with fresh NC shrimp and andouille sausage. Mmmmmmmm.

Sugar Shack, Ocean Isle Beach - What's this? A Jamaican restaurant on OIB? Yes, it is, and it couldn't be much more authentic if it were in Montego Bay. With the Caribbean colors and atmosphere to spare, the Sugar Shack has become a very popular place for a night out on the Brunswick Islands (hint: make a reservation). We heard lots of raves about the jerk ribs, but decided on the tuna steak, which was delicious. We were too full to try the Key Lime Pie, but that seemed to be a favorite as well.

Top Dog Cafe, Rodanthe - It doesn't look like much from the outside, but if there's ever been a place that has great food and exudes an "Outer Banks" laid-back attitude, this is it. The menu includes a two-pound burger(!) for the daring, but our favorite was the Cajun Mahi sandwich. Twice.

So there you have it... a great two weeks on the NC coast. We've enjoyed sharing this trip with you, and hope to have mountain and piedmont trips to chronicle soon. Stay tuned!