Grits Grill

Grits Grill sits along South Croatan Highway in Nags Head, part of the same corridor that runs the length of the northern Outer Banks beach towns. The name gives away the format: a straightforward breakfast-and-lunch counter, open daily from 6 in the morning until 2 in the afternoon, seven days a week. That's an early, working schedule built for people who want a hot plate before a day on the water or the sand, not a late dinner reservation.

The $$ price range puts it in the moderate, everyday-diner bracket — the kind of stop built around routine rather than a big night out. Because the kitchen closes by mid-afternoon, plan a visit for morning or early lunch; there's no dinner service to fall back on later in the day.

• Address: 5000 S Croatan Hwy # N-5, Nags Head, NC 27959
• Phone: (252) 449-2888
• Hours: daily, 6:00 AM – 2:00 PM
• Price range: $$

Anyone staying along the Nags Head or Kill Devil Hills stretch of the Beach Road/Croatan Highway corridor can fold it into a morning routine before heading out to Jockey's Ridge or the beach for the day.