Order Up is a recurring feature about a staff member’s visit to a local eatery.
KILL DEVIL HILLS — First, a truism: Pack some patience if you’re going to any Outer Banks restaurant in the summer.
But on a recent Tuesday, by luck, accidental good timing or some combination of both, my partner and I scored lunch with an under-15-minute wait time at the Kill Devil Grill.
We chose lemonade and ice water for our drinks, but the full bar boasts wine, beer and innovative cocktails. A woman next to us was on vacation and was very pleased with her Black and Blue Lemonade, which involves fresh lemonade, blackberries and Stoli Blueberi vodka, according to the menu.
The restaurant is located in a rather humble-looking, dining car building — “Drinks in a dining car with friends by the beach” reads its current signboard. It was sold to new owners last summer but menu changes seem to have been slight, if any. The atmosphere remains beach chill meets Southern hospitality, with friendly, helpful staff and quick service.
We split an appetizer that I found unique among the selection: Cheese steak eggrolls.
Hear me out. It works. Three of these perfectly crunchy eggrolls filled with cheese and thin-shaved steak come with a side of chunky marinara sauce. They’re delicious.
We chose sandwiches and fries from the daily specials menu. I had the crispy fried flounder sandwich, which perfectly satisfied my palate. The flounder was flaky with a fresh-fried crisp outside, and the portion was generous.
He ordered the drum cake sandwich —“like a crabcake, but with fish,” as the server explained. He hadn’t had a fish cake in a while, and its robust flavors included a smokiness that he wasn’t expecting. We agreed that the fries were perfectly cooked.
He called it “a solid meal. I couldn’t have asked for more.”
Other lunch specials included an oyster spinach salad and a grilled tuna and grits platter.
The regular menu offers salads with land or sea protein additions, burgers and sandwiches, steaks, pasta, ribs and seafood. It’s rounded out with kid and dessert menus.
The restaurant’s cozy quarters are worth visiting, as it’s home to a talented kitchen staff offering a wide-ranging menu.
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If you go
Where: 2008 South Virginia Dare Trail, Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday
Prices: Drinks $5 to $15; food $9 to $28
Details: 252-449-8181; thekilldevilgrill.com
Corinne Saunders, csaunders@virginiamedia.com
