Recently I had a request from a blog reader asking for summer hours and contact information for Ocracoke restaurants. I have done some research and will now share what I have learned. Please note that summer hours begin Memorial weekend and are subject to change.



Jason's Restaurant, located at 1110 Highway 12, will be open Monday through Saturday 11:30 AM till 10 PM. Closed on Sundays. Menu includes pizza, pasta, subs and seafood. Dine inside or on the screened porch. Eat in or take out.
Phone: 252-928-3434



   

Mango Loco's, located at 1050 Highway 12, will be open Tuesday through Saturday 5 PM till 9 PM. Closed on Mondays. Wednesday night is "Open Mike Night". Thursday night is "Karaoke Night". There will be live music most Fridays and Saturdays. Mango Loco's features Mexican/Carribean cuisine and cocktails. Eat in or take out.
Phone: 252-928-2874



    

The Flying Melon Cafe, located at 804 Highway 12, will be open for brunch Tuesday through Sunday 9 AM till 2 PM. Open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday 5 PM till 9 PM. Flying Melon features southern regional cuisine and the owners' favorites from around the world. Eat in or take out.
Phone: 252-928-2533



   

SmacNally's, located at 180 Highway 12 across from the Anchorage Inn, will be open 11 AM till 9 PM. Willis Gupton will be playing on Fridays and Saturdays. SmacNally's menu includes burgers and seafood. Outside,waterfront dining at the bar and tables with umbrellas. Eat in or take out.
Phone: 252-928-9999



   

The Jolly Roger, located at 410 Highway 12, will be open daily 11 AM till 9 PM. The Jolly Roger menu includes burgers, seafood and Mexican food. There will be live music at least once a week, maybe more. Eat in or take out.
Phone: 252-928-3703



   

Creekside Cafe, located at 621 Highway 12, will be open daily 11 AM till 10 PM. There will be live music on Fridays and Saturdays and maybe more often. Outside dining. Menu includes burgers, salads and seafood. Eat in or take out.
Phone: 252-928-3606



   

The Ocracoke Pizza Company opening has been delayed. As soon as they are open I will post the hours and contact info. Love the new sign!



   

Thai Moon, located in Spencer's Market on the corner of Highway 12 and School Road, will be open daily from 11 AM till 9 PM. Thai Moon features authentic Thai food and is take out only.
Phone: 252-928-5100



   

The Back Porch Restaurant, located at 110 Back Road across from Blackbeard's Lodge, will be open daily from 5 PM till 9:30 PM. The menu includes seafood, steaks, chicken and duck. The Back Porch also has a wine bar and nightly specials. Dine inside with air conditioning or out on the large screened porch.
Phone: 252-928-6501



Don't forget about the Back Porch Lunchbox located on the corner of Highway 12 and Back Road in front of the Pony Island Motel. Serving sandwiches and wraps, drinks and salads. Open 7 days a week from 11 AM till 5 PM.
Phone: 252-928-3651



   

The Pony Island Restaurant, located at 51 Ocean View Road behind the Pony Island Motel, will be serving breakfast from 7 AM till 11 AM, lunch from 11 AM till 2 PM and dinner from 5 PM till 9 PM. They will be closed Monday nights. Menu includes omelettes, Pony Potatoes, burgers, sandwiches, seafood and more. Eat in or take out.
Phone: 252-928-5701



   

Fig Tree Deli and Sweet Tooth, located at 1015 Highway 12, will be open Monday through Saturday 8 AM till 9 PM and Sunday 8AM till 4 PM. Fig Tree Deli menu includes, breakfast sandwiches, salads and lunch sandwiches. Sweet Tooth has many types of specialty candies, fudge and ice cream. Outside dining or take out.
Phone: 252-928-3481



   

Captain Ben's Restaurant, located at 875 Highway 12, will be serving lunch from 11:30 AM till 4 PM and dinner 4 PM till 9 PM. Captain Ben's welcomes wedding rehearsal dinners, large groups and busses. Menu includes prime rib, seafood, sandwiches and more. Captain Ben's hopes to have occasionally live music this summer.
Phone: 252-928-4741



   

The Cafe Atlantic, located at 1129 Highway 12, will be open for dinner from 5 PM till 9 PM every day except Tuesday. Menu includes seafood, beef fillet, pasta and Ruth's famous homemade desserts. Eat in or take out.
Phone: 252-928-4261



   

Howard's Pub is located at 1175 Highway 12. Howard's Pub is open daily from 11 AM till Midnight. The menu includes burgers, pizza, seafood and much more. Howard's has an extensive beer menu and live music most weekends and some weekdays (no cover charge). Eat in or take out. You can see the event calendar, food menu and beer list on their website.
Phone: 252-928-4441
http://www.howardspub.com



    

The Ocracoke Coffee Shop and Island Smoothie, located at 226 Back Road, will be open Monday through Saturday 7 AM till 7 PM and Sunday 7 AM till 5 PM. The Coffee Shop offers inside and outside seating with games and free WiFi. Menu includes a variety of coffees, tea, espresso drinks, bagels, real fruit smoothies and other fresh baked goods and pastries. Java on site or to go.
Phone: 252-928-7473

I hope this is helpful to someone or to many. Restaurant owners, if you see any mistakes please let me know so I can make corrections. Here's to a great summer!

Here are the pictures my friend took of the Elizabeth II. I was able to retrieve them and wanted to post them because they are better than the ones I took even though the sky is stormy.
Thank you, Friend!
I will be posting a blog within the next couple of days with summer hours and contact info for Ocracoke Island Restaurants.

A friend called this morning to tell me that the Elizabeth II was docked at the Jolly Roger on Silver Lake. Since I couldn't get out of the office she offered to take a couple of pictures for me for the blog. Although this morning the weather wasn't really conducive for picture taking she came and got the camera and got the pictures. This morning was cloudy, dark and stormy but the pictures came out pretty good. The bad news is that I wasn't able to use them for this blog. Near the end of the storm this morning lightning struck somewhere near the building I work in and knocked out our phones and knocked us off the computer network. Therefore I was unable to retrieve the pictures to use.

When the rain cleared and the clouds had mostly departed I went to see if the Elizabeth II was still around so I could take some pictures myself. I almost missed it. It was on the way out of Silver Lake when I got there. I got a couple of shots but they weren't very good. Then I went around to another location so I could try to get a shot when they left the harbor. I was able to get the one above. It isn't great because I had to use the zoom lens but it is okay. I was really hoping I could catch them with the sails up but I didn't.

                                              

The Elizabeth II is a 69 foot, square-rigged sailing ship built to represent one of the ships used to transport Sir Walter Raleigh's colonists to the new world. Most of the year it is located across from the Manteo waterfront at the Roanoke Island Festival Park. During the spring and fall volunteer crews sail the ship to other ports along the Atlantic coast. The ship is open year round and admission is required for guided tours and the summer living history program. You can find out more by calling the Roanoke Island Festival Park at 252-475-1506 or 252-475-1500.

It is really cool to see an impressive vessel such as the Elizabeth II. It's like a piece of history sailing the seas (even if it is a replica). Imagine the wild, untamed land the colonists came upon at Roanoke Island when they arrived to start a new life. It must have been so beautiful and so scary and so wonderful all at the same time. My friends who grew up on Ocracoke describe a different place, in many ways, than what Ocracoke is today. I am just glad that the evolution of Ocracoke still hasn't progressed too far. There are still no fast food chains, movie theaters, mini golf, amusement parks, WalMarts...and that is just fine with me!

           

What a beautiful day on Ocracoke!! The picture above shows what the beach looks like today. The sun is shining, the temperature is in the 60's and it is just a little breezy but not windy. A great beach day!!

For the past few days beach fishermen have been catching a lot of decent sized bluefish. I saw a picture on the Tradewinds website (www.fishtradewinds.com) of a lady holding the head of a flounder. The rest of the flounder had been bitten off by a bluefish. Fresh out of the water bluefish are delicious to eat but watch out for those razor sharp teeth.

          


Today is registration day for the 25th Annual Ocracoke Island Surf Fishing Tournament. Approximately 65 teams (give or take 1 or 2) will be fishing on the beach for the next 2 days. They will be fishing for points in various categories. The team with the most points wins the tournament but there are other categories where prizes will be awarded...Top Female Team, Most Fish, Largest Fish and more. Prizes include trophies donated by different Outer Banks businesses and tackle donated by various companies supporting the tournament.

The tournament participants will be treated to a kick off gathering at Howard's Pub tonight with the Embers. Tomorrow night DJ Buster Nunemaker will be at the Pub. On Friday there will be a pig picking and awards party at the Community Center followed by an After Party with DJ Buster Nunemaker.

                            


There are only 2 days of fishing but it seems like most years bad weather knocks out at least a half or a full day. This year, if the forecast holds true, it looks like they might actually get to fish both full days. Good Luck, Anglers! Have a great time!

                                    

One more item of interest...Ocracoke now has a self-serve ice machine located on the corner of Trent Drive and O'Neal Drive. (You can't miss it!) You can get a 20 pound bag or 24 pounds bulk for $2.50. You must have your own container for the bulk ice. You just put your money in, make your selection and out comes your ice. If you have any problems there's a help number you can call. I have been assured by the owner that most problems can be fixed by phone because the machine is computerized. Plus, the owner lives on site. What will they think of next?

             

Have a great day!

If you have driven through the village on the main road, Highway 12, then you have probably seen the Community Square nestled between the Bluff Shoal Motel and the Down Creek Condos and Art Gallery. Among the shops in the Community Square is the Community Store. The Community Store has operated for many years as a grocery store but has been closed for the last two years. Since it has been closed many people ask if and when it will re-open. We finally have an answer to that question.

There have been a few attempts to re-open the store  but Susan and James Paul are finally doing it. The scheduled opening date is Thursday, May 1 at 6 am. Store hours will be 6 am to 9 pm, 7 days a week. Hours are subject to change with the seasons.

Susan is a former vacation specialist and blog writer for Ocracoke Island Realty. She still does property sales for the realty. Her husband, James, is a contractor and has built some beautiful houses on the island. I was lucky enough to get an inside look at the store when I went to interview Susan for this blog.

   

The first thing that I noticed was how much room there is in the building. I used to shop there for years before it closed so it wasn't my first visit but I never realized how big it was. Susan and James have rearranged and built new shelves and displays to blend with the ones that were already there. There is plenty of room for the goods and plenty of room to move around.


       

Their goal was to blend the old with the new. There is an old fashioned feel when you walk in and see the cheese cutting wheel, the old woodstove, the candy jars and the decor. There are also modern touches. There will be Starbucks brand Seattle's Best coffee, cappucino and fountain drinks. The store will stock most of the common staples (including fresh produce) along with specialty items such as Mexican food ingredients, organic foods and natural foods. There will also be toys, board games and Community Store souveniers. For the bargain hunter there will be weekly specials-Monday through Friday- for different items each week. The specials will be posted in the store.

      
 
A new service the Community Store will offer is grocery delivery. You will be able to place an order online or by phone or fax and have your groceries delivered. How handy is that? The website is still a work in progress but hopefully you will soon be able to visit www.ocracokescommunitystore.com and get an inside view of the new, old Community Store. Or better yet...stop by and say hello. Judging from the number of people who came up on the porch, jiggled the doorknobs and peered in the windows while we were doing the interview you will have plenty of company.

Good luck to you, Susan and James! We are happy that the Community Store doors will soon be open again with a fresh new look!

                   
                    Rene Flores and Jack Whitehead show off the new, blue recycle bins.




Ocracoke Island Realty maintenance supervisor, Jack Whitehead, has been working very hard to make Ocracoke Island greener! For the past several months he has done loads of research, gone to seminars and talked to many people to get as much information as possible to start a recycling program.

Ocracoke Island Realty is offering this service to our homeowners as an "opt-out" program. Most of them are participating and are glad to do so. Other homeowners and businesses on the island will be participating as well.

The recycling program is part of an ongoing effort to lighten the trash load on Ocracoke. Many residents and businesses were not in agreement with the Pay As You Throw program that we feared would be implemented this year. Fortunately that did not happen this year but if we want to avoid it in the future we need to offer pro-active solutions to deem it unnecessary. Recycling will be a big step in the right direction. Plus, it's the right thing to do.

Many of our visitors are used to recycling where they live and work so it should come naturally for them. There will be information posted in each house pertaining to what is recyclable (plastics, glass, metal, paper and cardboard) and there will be a blue recycle bin at each house to dispose of the items. The bins will be emptied on turnover days (Saturday and Sunday). The service will begin in May.

So...if you visit Ocracoke Island in the future....please use these blue bins to dispose of your recyclable items. If you can't find a blue bin you can deposit your recyclables in the large bins next to the sheriff's office on Highway 12.

HOORAY for a greener Ocracoke!!

                              

                               


US District Court Judge Terrence Boyle has called for a closed meeting next week in his office in Elizabeth City to review the case of the lawsuit over beach driving on the Outer Banks. Although an agreement has been reached by the parties involved in the lawsuit the judge still has to approve the settlement. He has several questions about the terms of the settlement and whether it is fair to all parties.

After two weeks of negotiations the agreement was completed after Dare and Hyde counties and the Cape Hatteras Access Preservation Alliance voted to approve it. 

A few of the highlights of the 23 page agreement are as follows:

* Night driving will be restricted from May 1 to November 15 at potential turtle nesting areas. It may be allowed    by permit only between September 16 and November 15. The buffer zone will be significantly increased for unfledged piping plovers.

* Establishment of pre-nesting areas at the six locations that had been slated for closure (Bodie Island Split, Cape Point, South Beach, Hatteras Split and the north and south points of Ocracoke) and setting up varying buffers for breeding and nesting and for unfledged chicks.

* Creation of an "ORV-free zone" on the ocean backshore from March 15 to November 30.  There is a requirement to issue public notices of proposed pre-nesting-related closures and reports about protected species activities. It requires automatic expansions of buffers and pre-nesting areas by 164 feet with the first violation, by an additional 328 feet with a second violation and by an additional 1640 feet or more with a third violation. (A violation would be considered a deliberate act that disturbs or harasses wildlife.)

*A final ORV management plan must be completed by the Park Service by December 31, 2010.

* A 24-hour telephone line must be set up so that people can report illegal activities and unsafe conditions.

* The Park Service is obligated to pay reasonable attorney fees for the environmental groups' lawyers.

To me it sounds like there has been some compromise. The beach areas in question will not be closed but there will be certain limitations set. It is only fair that if the wildlife can share the beach with us then we can certainly share with the beach with wildlife. I believe that there is room for all, just like in any natural setting. I also believe that people should be educated as to proper beach behavior, whether they are driving onto the beach, walking onto the beach or arriving by boat and just like any situation there are certain rules of etiquette.

* First and foremost you should always be considerate of those around you! Human and non-human.

* Do not attempt to drive onto the beach if your vehicle is not a four wheel drive.

* Drive at an even pace.

* Do not litter. Clean up behind yourself.

* Mind the speed limit. The standard speed limit for beach driving is 25 mph.

* Park above the high tide line.

* Do not drive between parked vehicles and the shoreline. This is very dangerous and very inconsiderate.

If you can think of other rules of etiquette for beach driving please share them.

I would like to take this opportunity to invite local business owners to send information about changes, updates or new services for the 2008 season. If you own a new or existing business on Ocracoke Island and have new information or changes you would like for locals and island visitors to know about please comment to this blog with your contact information (contact information will not be posted unless you request that it is). I will contact you and post your updates or news on the blog. This is not an invitation for free advertising. It is just a chance to let people know about changes to your business.

Below is an introduction to the new owners of Creekside Restaurant and information about the 2008 season. It was written by Marty Howarth, one of the new owners. Thanks, Marty! Good luck to you both! And good luck to Chris in whatever life leads you to next!





Creekside Cafe on Highway 12 has kicked off the 2008 season with new owners, Hank and Marty Howarth. Creekside will have the same awesome menu prepared by the same great cooks as in the past, but there are a few changes for the 2008 season. Creekside now offers full table service in its open-air courtyard in addition to the popular takeout service. The Howarths also plan regular live music in the courtyard once the season is in full swing. Creekside will be open seven days a week, from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. until later in the spring. Once the summer season approaches, Creekside will be open daily (yes, Sundays too!) from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m.

The Howarths have been vacationing on Ocracoke for decades and have owned a home here for six years. It was always their goal to retire from "lawyering" and find a way to enjoy Ocracoke year-round. The Howarths met former owner Chris Styron years ago when their son worked at Creekside as a cook. Son Ben will return to assist with the season and daughter Emily, a familiar waitress at another Island restaurant, will also be on hand to help with the family business in its inaugural season. Island local Chris Styron has graciously agreed to stay on to lend his experience and talents to the transition and long time favorite prep cook Elva O'Neal will also continue to serve up her many great Ocracoke recipes. Please stop by when you're hungry, thirsty or just to say hello.

The decision on whether or not to close several beaches along the Outer Banks is scheduled for tomorrow. The latest information I have heard told me something that I wasn't aware of and I don't know if many people are aware of this. The beaches that are in question will not only be closed to vehicles but to foot traffic as well. This means that you wouldn't even be able to walk to these places or go by boat!

The beaches in jeopardy of being closed are Bodie Island Split, Cape Point, South Beach, Hatteras Split, North Ocracoke and South Ocracoke. Closure of these areas would be devastating to the economy of the Outer Banks.

Senators and Congressmen are now asking for phone calls as well as faxes and e-mails. Please call the numbers below and speak your piece. Help save beach access on the Outer Banks!! Call now while there is still time!! Let them know that you oppose these beach closures!!

Elizabeth Dole    202-224-6342
Richard Burr       202-224-3154
Walter Jones     202-225-3415


Thanks and have a great day!!

Wow! What a busy couple of weeks! We had a lot of visitors here for spring break. Maybe not as many as we might have had if spring break was in April, but we have been very busy.

Ocracoke School's spring break began March 21 and the kids went back to school today. The week before spring break the students and teachers all participated in Arts Week. If you have been to Ocracoke or read anything about Ocracoke then you know that all types of art are popular here. Art is a big part of Ocracoke's culture. Ocracoke School has Arts Week every year. They invite artists to come and share their particular craft. There have been many types of art shared with the students and teachers over the years. At the end of the week there is an assembly. Parents and the community are invited to come meet the artists and see what they have been doing all week. It is always fun to see the outcome of Arts Week.

This year there were 4 different artists teaching 4 different crafts. Claire Senseney, a local artist, taught Raku Clay Pottery.  Merle Davis, also a local artist, taught Creative Cooking. Merle's son, Jubal Creech, taught about Recycled Wearable Art. (Jubal was here before to teach drumming which was a big favorite of my son who is a drummer.) Meghan Griffith taught Hip Hula-Hoop.

There were many different clay objects on display in the gym. These kids have incredible imaginations. There were figurines, pots, plates, bowls, pitchers, ashtrays and more. Claire is very good with the kids and they enjoyed her teachings.

The recycled art tables were filled with many interesting items. There were wallets, flowers and more made from different colors of duct tape. Bracelets and necklaces made with Matchbox cars and old washers. And, you guessed it, drums made from recycled materials.

During Merle's presentation on Creative Cooking she told us about the different foods that were prepared with the different age groups. Biscuits, omlettes, potato soup, different types of salsa and much more. Too bad they didn't have samples, only pictures.
 
The Hip Hula-Hoop seemed to have been enjoyed by all the different age groups. My daughter talked about this all week and showed me her bruises. She said she really had fun and everyone liked Meghan. They all really seemed to be having a great time as each group went up to demonstrate the craft. The hula-hoops were hand-made and decorated. There were different sizes and different looks. Each group seemed to enjoy them in a different way. They hula-hooped while walking, moving backward and forward, turning around and dancing. They also used different parts of their bodies...arms, legs, hips, neck, heads. The middle school boys created a game where each tried to make the other person drop their hula-hoop using only their hula-hoop. The older girls made up a dance that they performed with hula-hoops. Who knew hula-hoops could be used in so many different ways?

Below are some pictures of some of the pottery, recycled art and the high school girls hula-hooping! Hope you enjoy them and have a great day!