The Outer Banks of North Carolina is such a great place for a beach vacation. Most of my time in the area has actually been spent working for a summer camp in Beaufort, but over the three-week camp for three summers I got to see a lot of the area.
There’s plenty to do here, even beyond the beaches, from horseback riding (which is a lot of fun), diving (excellent wreck diving here), golf, historical sites, and more.
Vacation is also a great time to sample the local food, and in this post we’ll be looking at the best pizza restaurants on the Outer Banks. While it may not be known for pizza, there are some great places you’ll want to check out when you get a hankering for some pizza.
In this post, we’ll look at 9 of the best, all on the Outer Banks or close by, so you can find one near your hotel.
Nags Head Pizza Company
NHPC is somewhat of a pizza landmark in the OBX. They were originally located on the causeway, but in 2022 started renovating the old Nags Head Post Office to turn it into their new home. They have outstanding made-from-scratch pizzas that use only the freshest ingredients. This pizza restaurant focuses on health, fresh pizzas that are their own unique style – not NYC pizza and not Italian pizza.
Nags Head is truly a family-owned business, with a husband-and-wife teaming up with a good friend of theirs to bring together their love of pizza and the outer banks. Combined with numerous family members who help out in various ways, they make sure to bring you a delicious pie, a cold beverage, and a good time.
They are also dedicated to ensuring everyone can eat here, whether you’re vegetarian or vegan, have a food allergy, gluten intolerance, or other dietary restriction. One of the owners has a dietary restriction and her goal is to create an inclusive atmosphere. They open daily at 4PM.
Slice Pizzeria
Located in Kill Devil Hills, Slice Pizzeria has been providing top-notch hand-crafted pizzas to the Outer Banks community for more than a decade. In fact, they were voted best pizza in the Outer Banks 5 times, and in 2018 TripAdvisor voted them the best pizza in North Carolina.
Their stone oven pizzas are hand tossed and made with a variety of classic ingredients, like mushrooms, peppers, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni. They also craft some unique, fabulous pizza concoctions, like their Philly Cheesesteak Pizza, made with Ribeye beef steak, green peppers, and shredded mozzarella.
In addition to their pizzas, they also have some killer desserts, like New York Style Cheesecake and Key Lime Pie, as well as a full menu of fresh salads, subs, and more. Slice is open everyday from 11:30AM to 8PM.
Pizzazz Pizza
Pizzazz Pizza has been serving the Outer Banks community for over 30 years, with multiple locations in Nags Head, Duck, Corolla, and Grandy. Founded in 1986, they are a local family-owned pizza joint that makes their dough and pizza sauce from scratch daily. They use only the freshest ingredients and finest meat toppings to bring you the ultimate pie.
Their menu includes a build your own pizza, where you can choose from over 20 toppings, specialty pizzas, subs, salads, and munchables like chicken tenders and fresh cut fries. All four of their locations are open daily from 11:30AM to 9:30PM
Barefoot Bernie’s
Barefoot Bernie’s, located in Kitty Hawk, is a tropical grill and bar that offers an all-around amazing menu. While it may not be a dedicated pizza place, Barefoot Bernie’s serves up excellent pizza that can compete with the best pizzerias on this list. Their fresh ingredients, perfect crust, and delicious sauce make their pizza a must-try when visiting the Kitty Hawk area.
Some of their favorite gourmet pizzas include the Bacon Cheeseburger in Paradise, made with ground sirloin and bacon, as well as their Pesto Margherita, made with a fresh basil pesto sauce and two kinds of cheese.
BB’s has a wide range of other items on their menu, including oven-baked subs, sandwiches and burgers, salads, pastas, and more. The kids will love their extensive menu, which even includes gluten free kids options like steak and mashed potatoes and grilled chicken breast. They open at 11AM daily.
Max’s Italian Restaurant
Max’s Italian Restaurant is a family-owned pizzeria and Italian restaurant located in Kill Devil Hills. They specialize in authentic New York style pizza, using only the freshest, all-natural ingredients and baked in their real stone oven. Their dough, sauce, and marinara are all vegan friendly, making this a great option if you’ve got members of your family with dietary restrictions.
Their head chef graduated from Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris, France, and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to your taste buds. Their mozzarella is grated fresh daily, and they use only King Arthur unbleached and unbromated flour, for an all-natural pizza crust.
One of the most highly recommended options at Max’s is their Margherita pizza, featuring fresh mozzarella, basil, and their delicious house-made sauce.
Along with pizza, this restaurant has a wide range of craft beers, including local and and imported. Outside of pizza, their menu features classic appetizers like calamari and bruschetta, a variety of salads, calzones, and more. Be sure to check this place out anytime Tuesday through Sunday from 11AM to 9PM.
Duck Pizza Company
Duck Pizza is the perfect place to head to if you’re getting a craving for some top-notch thin crust. Their brand new menu is a reflection of the owners, who took over in 2022, and are a husband and wife team who both have 15 years in the restaurant business: Mark has 15 years of experience making pizzas, while Alyssa has 15 years of experience running the front of the house.
The pizza menu has a make your own option, with a variety of standard and gourmet toppings and numerous specialty pies like the Philly Steak, Aloha, a classic white pizza, and a meat lovers.
While Duck Pizza Company is known for its pies, they also offer a variety of other delicious options, like salads, snackables, toasted subs, and desserts.
Duck Pizza is located in the Scarborough Lane Shoppes in Duck. They are in the back, behind Fishbones.
American Pie OBX
After a long day at the beach or fishing, nothing beats grabbing a quick and delicious meal at a beachy pizza drive-in. American Pie in Kill Devil Hills offers just that, with their homemade, hand-tossed pizzas and homemade ice cream. All their pizzas are hand-tossed and delivered to your mouth piping hot and made with hand-crafted dough and the toppings of your choice.
AP OBX specializes in authentic NYC style pies. They have some great specialty pizzas, like the Big 5, with pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions & green peppers, or the Weed Eater for vegetarians, made with mushroom, black olives, onions & green peppers.
This place has one of the most extensive non-pizza menus of any restaurant on the list. They offer Burgers, Po’ Boys, appetizers, subs, salads, and more.
Outside of pizza, they are known for their ice cream, served up in a fresh Waffle Cone with the flavor of your choice. Nothing better than pizza and ice cream after a relaxing day with your toes in the North Carolina sand.
Lucky 12 Tavern
Lucky 12 Tavern, located in Nags Head, is the place to go for late night pizza cravings. Open until midnight, this bar serves up some pizza rolled and tossed to order and made with top-notch, fresh ingredients.
All their pies are NY style and include unique varieties like the Mediterranean, made with artichoke hearts, black olives, and red peppers, or the Porkie Pig, made with Italian sausage, ham, bacon, and pulled pork.
They pride themselves on serving some of the coldest beer in town to wash down that pie crust. Their menu also features locally caught, fresh seafood, tasty sandwiches like an Oyster Po’ Boy, made with a spicy Remoulade, and a great selection of soups, salads, and more.
Lots of people keep coming back for their Crabcakes too, topped with a white corn salsa!
Southern Shores Pizza
Southern Shores Pizza is conveniently located right on Ocean Boulevard in Kitty Hawk. This is the sister restaurant to Corolla Pizza and opened in 2015, featuring many of the same favorites of their first restaurant but with the addition of new creations. They serve up some outstanding pizzas, as well as classics like buttery garlic knots, subs, and salads.
They make a killer Sicilian 16″ rectangular pizza, with a thick, chewy crust. Specialty pies include their Buffalo Chicken, drizzled with Blue Cheese and topped with mozzarella and hot sauce. They’ve also got a Vegetarian special that even meat eaters will love, baked to perfection and finished with mushrooms, romas, onions, green peppers, & broccoli.
The Bottom Line
In conclusion, the Outer Banks offers an impressive variety of delicious pizza options for visitors to enjoy. From authentic New York-style pizza to unique and health-conscious options, you’re sure to find something to hit the sweet spot.
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