Lighthouse Sports Bar

Lighthouse Sports Bar sits right on NC-12 in Buxton, the village home to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse — the tallest brick lighthouse in the country, moved inland in 1999 to escape the eroding shoreline. It's a straightforward bar-and-restaurant setup: food, drinks, and screens tuned to whatever game's on, suited to filling in an evening after a day on the beach or a stop at the lighthouse grounds. The $$ price range keeps it in line with the rest of the casual dining scene on this stretch of the island, and its categorization as a brewery and bar points to a beer-forward drink list alongside the food.

Hours

• Monday, and Wednesday through Sunday: 11am–11pm
• Closed Tuesdays

Like everything strung along NC-12, it's worth a call ahead during hurricane season (roughly August through October) or right after a storm closes the road — Hatteras Island floods and washes out more readily than the beaches to the north, and hours can shift with little notice.