Seafood

The Oceanfront Grille

Casual, moderately priced dining in the heart of Corolla, minutes from the lighthouse and the sand

(550)

$$$$

About

The Oceanfront Grille is a casual, moderately priced ($$) restaurant in Corolla, on the northern end of the Outer Banks where NC-12 runs out of pavement a few miles up the road. It's a straightforward option for a meal after a day on the sand or a morning spent exploring Corolla's historic district.

That district — the Currituck Beach Lighthouse, the Whalehead Club, and the grounds connecting them at Currituck Heritage Park — sits mid-town, an easy stop before or after dinner. Corolla itself marks a hard line in Outer Banks geography: paved roads end here, and north of town the beach becomes the only road, open to 4x4 traffic and roamed by the wild Spanish mustangs the Corolla Wild Horse Fund manages.

Price range: $$ (moderate)
Location: Corolla, NC 27927
Good pairing: a day at the lighthouse, the Whalehead Club, or the beach

Specific hours aren't listed here, and details can shift with the season — Corolla runs busiest Memorial Day through Labor Day and quieter in the April–May and September–October shoulder months. Calling ahead or checking the restaurant's website before heading over is a good habit on this stretch of the coast, especially outside peak summer.

Reviews (550)

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4.3

550 reviews

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Kim Higley

2 weeks ago

Just sharing this review to save others from choosing this restaurant. I should have known to immediately lower my expectations when I saw there was only one other party there during prime dinner time. First off, our waitress was fine and provided decent service. But the food…pretty terrible. The she crab soup was tomato based and loaded with cheese…inedible. Filet mignon was ordered medium but was raw and had to be sent back. My husband’s steak was ordered medium and quite raw too, but he ate it that way. The bacon on the bacon wrapped scallops was raw as well. We spent $240. for a lousy meal. $200 for the bill and $40 for our waitress. Expensive lesson learned. We will not go back. Also, it’s not really oceanfront…it’s pool front. The view is of the Hotel’s pool.

Cherise Agnew

11 months ago

Best crab cakes I've ever had! We've been going here for years and the food is consistently high quality! All seating is outdoors, but they do have plastic up to help on chilly evenings. The view of the ocean is a delight, staff is friendly and efficient, kids menu is very good! Definitely worth your visit!

Charles Kawecki

2 months ago

Very nice people. Food is pretty good. We spent a lot of time at the pool here during our vacay. I managed to leave my cc there on the last day and the mailed it back immediately, no questions asked.

Rob W

3 months ago

--- **Oceanfront Grille — Corolla, NC** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Managing a table of nine — six adults and three kids — is no small ask, but Gabriella made it look effortless. Every order landed correctly, refills appeared before you had to think about asking, and she kept the whole table happy without missing a beat. That level of attentiveness with a large group is genuinely hard to find. Now, the food. Living in the DC area, we've had our share of seafood — and we have opinions. The crab cakes were something else entirely. All lump crab meat, no breading, no filler, nothing trying to stretch the good stuff into something it isn't. Just pure, clean crab done right. Best I've had, full stop, and that's not a statement I make lightly. The grilled salmon was equally impressive — moist, perfectly cooked, and genuinely delicious in a way that reminds you what good fish is supposed to taste like. Oceanfront Grille set the bar high on both the food and the service front. Gabriella is a big reason this meal is still being talked about. If you're in Corolla, don't sleep on this place.

Hayley King

2 months ago

Food was good. The filet was actually one of the better I’ve had in the island, my husband liked his food as well but it was unenjoyable due to the swarm of flies on our food drinks everywhere. Along with it begging so hot and the fan broken we had to get our food to go and leave to finish up in the car. (They have no indoor seating) Other than that I really enjoyed this place I wish they would either include indoor seating or take measurements to make it cooler with better air circulation fans and also maybe fly traps ect. Definitely too nice of food and too high of prices for the low quality set up.