Fish Heads Bar and Grill

Excellent: Vibe, the shrimp happy hour special, view and location right on the beach! Not so great: The nachos! Not enough cheese and the pico tasted off! Would come back for the shrimp and the overall vibe!

We stopped in on one of our several trips between the airport and our house in Salvo. This was a welcoming place to stop after a long drive, and before returning to the craziness of sharing one house with nearly two dozen family.In this context, Fish Heads was perfect! This is a pier, with bar and a few tables, overlooking a beach full of people enjoying foiling boards, kite flying, and just playing in the sand with their kids.The menu is moderate, but fun. We tried fish and shrimp tacos, which were nicely done, and not too overpriced, given the setting. We didn't try the liquor menu, as we had been out all day and getting tired, but it looked appropriate to the setting.The staff was polite and efficient. Friendly, but not overly so with the mass of people coming and going, and waiting in line. The other patrons were typical beach bar folks. Very much about their own company and stories, and quite loud even for an outdoor restaurant. It's a bar, of course. ;-)

This place is so fun! If the weather is nice, it's awesome big getting to sit overlooking the ocean (but it's all outdoors, so skip it if the weather isn't cooperating). I got the shrimp tacos, which were huge and really delicious. My mom's crab cake was almost 100% crab. Service was really efficient. I can tell why this place is so popular! Casual beach vibes, great food, fun atmosphere.

Coming to eat or to be eaten alive?My gosh... the mosquitoes here were insufferable. Went here on a Friday evening. The place was packed and we were given an estimated 45 minute wait but were seated in 25. We walked the pier and watched the folks fishing prior to being seated, which was a nice pass time. The whole space was kind of shack style where there was roofing but no windows closing you in. Mosquitos were just going to town on all the diners.While this in itself was a bother, the wait staff's reactions were what were more disappointing. We asked if we could get bugs spray to which our server said they could not provide any. Yet the table next to us received bug spray from their server. When we went to apply the bug spray, staff told us to spray it elsewhere while the other party at the table over was not given any instruction to do so even as they applied bug spray within the establishment and the mist did spread. Finally our server profusely apologized to the table next to us for the bug situation when they were leaving but completely ignored us when we were on our way out. Anyone paying attention could notice the difference in treatment... pretty blatant racism in my view and definitely would not support dining at this establishment.Food was also not good - on its own it would be a 2.5/5 at best. I tried the fish tacos. The tortillas were not warmed, the pico de gallo was just chopped veggies and not a salsa at all, and the fish was far over salted and extremely oily. Came with a side of rice which was dry, hard, and unseasoned. I did not try anything else, but the menu items were super overpriced as they charge for each add on for burgers and sandwiches.

There were a lot of positives here and a few negatives but overall it's a solid restaurant! Positives: shrimp happy hour is a great deal! Super messy but wonderful for the price. Their salad bowl was fantastic and staff was very nice!Negatives: parking is definitely a nightmare and you need to get there early to get a spot. They charge for every single add on you can get. I got a crab cake sandwich with non of the toppings but asked for sauce on the side and it was $2, which is ridiculous. The crab cake was good but was pretty small for what it should have been on the sandwich and was cooked pretty dark. Overall, it's a great place for happy hour and good food just be careful asking for anything extra.

TLDR: Beautiful view, decent food, and okay service. Be weary of upcharges. Often busy so arrive early. We arrived around 4:30 pm and a table for 8 took about 20 min. Food: Okay food. Side salad, taco bowl, and happy hour shrimp were the best items. Fried fish was too sweet, sweet potato fries were overcooked, and the crab cake lacked flavor. The crab cake did have the perfect texture and ample salad to accompany it. Drinks: good flavor, limited options, mainly beer. I liked the agave margarita and pain killuh. We ordered drinks at the outdoor bar while waiting for our table. The bartender was efficient. Prices: reasonable prices for a seafood restaurant in OBX, but with lots of upcharges. Most of the upcharges are listed on the menu. Some we did not realize until paying the check. For instance, one member of our party is gluten free. Fish heads only has a couple gluten free items and use flour tortillas for the tacos. Therefore, we ordered the tacos over rice, blackened, and with guacamole. The upcharges for blackened and guacamole were expected. Then the rice was $2 (even though it replaced the tortillas). Plus remoulade sauce was an extra charge. One of our party didn't receive the toppings that originally came with the item, but was charged extra for asking for remoulade sauce. Location: excellent, you dine right on the pier with beautiful views of the ocean. Plan to bring sunscreen or cover up since you may be seated in the sun. Also some of the benches open up to the water so made sure phones, purses, and other items are secure. Service: okay, they are usually busy so you may need to ask for water refills and forgotten items. Our waitress was nice and our food came out quickly. Parking: deep, thin parking lot located in front of the restaurant. This lot fills up quickly and is challenging to turn around in. Public beach access parking lot adjacent is also usually full. Street parking is available nearby.

We loved the View!The food was pricey and we all felt sick after.Service was decent. They only serve beer and wine (not a full bar)Only order what is on the menu- any changes and they charge you! No gluten- charge extra, no dairy want a replacement- charge extra.

Best beachy OBX vibes, good food, and friendly service even on a busy holiday weekend. Cannot ask for anything more. The cool ceiling not only has colorful koozies but also fans. This is a better lunch spot than dinner IMO being on the fishing pier. Enjoyed my fish tacos and the loaded fries. 10-10 recommend.

Know what you are going for, and we were coming for the 20 cents shrimp and beach bar vibe, and that's exactly what we got in spades. No, they don't have cocktails, but they have tons of beers on tap, seltzers, cider, and you can get sangria, Prosecco, and margaritas on tap. Don't come here if you are looking for a $16 craft cocktail. I wish every bar had a bartender like Jonathan. He scanned the bar constantly and made sure everyone had what they needed.Food is beach bar food, and it was top notch and comes out quickly.

Fish Head Bar and Grill is a yearly must for us. Sitting Oceanside with a meal never disappoints. The nachos with chili are always a hit, and the coconut shrimp and fresh tuna bites were spot on.Service is great, and the atmosphere is laid-back. They have a solid selection of wine, beer, and sake cocktails. The bar out front is convenient while you wait, and live music in the evenings adds a nice touch. Always a favorite!