Rundown Cafe

This is our go-to spot when we arrive. It’s been three years since the changeover of ownership yet the food is always on point. The tacos are all delicious but the shrimp are my favorite. The calamari and fish bites always hit the spot, and their poke bowls are just right. Don’t forget to check their specials! We love the pond out front and whenever there is a wait to get in, we just go upstairs for a drink on the deck.

Absolutely wonderful. I remember dining here roughly 10 years ago but the stars haven’t aligned for me to return until this evening. I ordered the Blackened Red Drum With Avocado Drizzled with Aioli, with side of green beans and French fries. Normally comes with grits but I asked to substitute which worked out great. This was a special and is not normally on the everyday menu. The servers were pleasant and attentive. It was a nice evening so I sat outside and had a really great view of the ocean. I walked away extremely satisfied. Highly recommend. For $21 in this day and age with inflation? That was a darn good meal. Well done Rundown, thank you for this food and memory.

This place is "money in the bank" We got three items for lunch. Obviously the Rundown Chowder. You get a lot for $6 but it doesn't last long! We got coconut shrimp. The shrimp was great....the dipping sauce was crazy good. We also got a Poke bowl. Absolutely outstanding flavor. This is more than a lunch. It's an adventure!

I've followed the Rundown Cafe on FB for a while now and was determined to visit on a Sunday for one of their Special Sunday Brunch Bloody Marys. I was not disappointed. The BM was delicious and the Hurricane Salad with Grilled Yellow Fin Tuna was to die for! I'll be back next visit for sure! And you should add it to your list of eateries to visit while you're there!

We have been wanting to come here for years and so glad we made it this year,the staff was SUPER friendly and laid back, they even addressed some things about the menu you might not know/understand that I noticed were mentioned in some of the negative reviews so it's clear they read and appreciate feedback. They had a steak on the specials menu that was fantastic, the dipping sauce for the calamari was the best down here, the fish bites and wings were excellent appetizers as well( if your expecting a large portion size your going to be disappointed on the appetizers) but the flavor and experience make up for it. Can't say enough good about this place. Thank you for a great night out!

We had the best burgers of our lives at this restaurant! My husband and I are celebrating 20 years of marriage and took the day to play in the Outer Banks. The staff at this restaurant was very courteous and friendly, especially "Shorty". The food was delicious, and the atmosphere was light, bright, and clean. A great spot! We will be back!!

We love this place. It’s very clean, service is wonderful, and the food is amazing. Very kid friendly- there’s a fish pond out front to take your kids to see. Our daughter named one Spot and didn’t want to leave. Try the mango siracha and coconut shrimp.

One of our favorite meals on the trip. We sat upstairs in the bar area, which was cool, and Claire did a great job taking care of us. Good food and conversation!
We had the chowder (yum) and a Szechwan shrimp bowl and Alfredo pasta with shrimp and bacon. Absolutely perfect all the way around.
We loved it so much we bought a couple long sleeve shirts!
Thanks Rundown Cafe for a great meal. Our condolences on the loss of your owner.

Fish Pond when you walk in is beautiful. The kids enjoyed feeding the fish. Food was good and service was fast. I enjoyed the Hawaiian Poke bowl. Wine list was inexpensive. My server Mikey was great and attentive.

Finally came in to try those beautiful bloody marys that we see on Facebook, and we were NOT let down! Our week was Kung Pao chicken pot stickers and mmm, mmm was it all good!!! Great Baja fish tacos as well. Highly recommend you stop by for some brunch, they won't let you down!!!

Such a cute place and friendly staff! Enjoyed our lunch up on the upper deck, it was very nice. All food was good, especially recommended the loaded fries for the appetizer. Really enjoyed my sandwich, has the lunch special Harvest Grilled Cheese (without the bacon) and rice and beans. My table also enjoyed their BBQ burger and jerk chicken a lot too. It was all good!

Delicious delicious delicious! The waitress was so fast, nice, and patient with our group of 12! Something on the menu for everyone from a full bar to a kid friendly menu :) The artwork was cool and there was merch to buy. The only reason I gave the atmosphere 4 stars is because the dining room was echo-y and it made it a bit hard to chat. Otherwise, loved it, recommend it, get the red drum sandwich!

This was by far my favorite place that we ate in the Outer Banks! All of the food and drinks were excellent and our server was very friendly. We went during lunch and had no wait!

Hello All, another good meal at the rundown Cafe. We have been here a few times for lunch. Today was a first for dinner. I had the sesame bowl with coconut shrimp. It was really good. Maybe not a lot of shrimp or mandrin oranges but quite tasty. My wife had the baked Mahi Mahi it also was good, I got to try a little. Kids did well with their food. Everyone else enjoyed their food too!

Also they have a neat koi pond out front.

I got the surf and turf stir fry, which was excellent and I highly recommend.

Great service from Andy.

I gave a high rating to atmosphere mainly because they have very good noise control on the ceilings (sound absorption boards), which is rare at most restaurants. The propeller fans are also a nice addition.

I've been coming here for 10 years now. The food is fantastic and the bartenders are amazing. If you are in the Outer Banks please stop because you will not be disappointed. The coconut shrimp is tge best around. The fish of the day burrito is by far one of my faves.

This was one of our favorite meals in the Outer Banks. We loved the seafood with Asian influences!

Covid-19: you can order and pay over the phone. We enjoyed our meal on the tables behind the restaurant.

We got the a cup of the Rundown Chowder, the Szechuan Hot Pot with Grilled Shrimp, the Hawaiian Poke Bowl, and the Asian Sesame Noodles (add coconut shrimp).

Everything was really good. The Asian Sesame Noodles were hands down my favorite. They had great flavor. Unfortunately it didn't come with much coconut shrimp because I really liked the coconut shrimp.

The Hawaiian Poke bowl was also very good. It has quite a bit of tuna too. The rice was perfectly sticky. It was all very fresh. The Rundown Chowder was delicious.

Surprisingly, the Szechuan Hot Pot was my least favorite. It was good, the flavor just didn't compare to the other dishes.

The portions are quite large here. I never know how big they'll be so we definitely over ordered here and had leftovers.

Add this to your must try in Outer Banks list!

On vacation from upstate New York... Got some takeout from here. The New York strip steak was excellent... Prices very good.. staff very friendly... Good atmosphere. Don't forget to feed the fish out front in the pond

The food was excellent and the menu was really diverse.
Everyone at our table got something different and it was all good. Will definitely go back!

A great place to celebrate my birthday! Staying a week down here and enjoying eating at Rundown Cafe again! Delicious food, friendly staff and great atmosphere. Hubby went ahead to have flowers placed on table and a young staff member asked if he would like for him to get the flowers out of the car. That just doesn't happen!! What a nice young man!!!