Art’s Place in Kitty Hawk, Seriously Delicious Burgers
Kitty Hawk is the perfect coastal town for a restaurant like Art’s Place. This hole-in-the-wall establishment has been around since the 1980s and is situated on the western side of N.C. 12 or “beach road” at milepost 2.5, just across the street from the beach. Art’s is so close to the Atlantic Ocean that most able-bodied adults would likely be able to chuck a pebble into the saltwater from the restaurant’s top deck.
Art’s is housed in a building that was painted using a variety of different colors including blue, yellow and green, and is accompanied by a colorful sign out front. The building certainly stands out among the many surrounding monotone colored beach boxes, which is a phrase many area locals use to describe one-level homes that sit on top of wooden stilts that protrude about eight feet above the ground.
When it comes to lunch and dinner at Art’s, there are a number of can’t-go-wrong choices on the menu. We usually recommend ordering one of their half-pound hamburgers that come served on a kaiser roll with hand-cut fries on the side. Of course, you can add cheese, along with a number of other tantalizing toppings. If ground beef doesn’t suit your palette, consider trying the grilled cheese, Philly cheesesteak, or chicken salad wrap. Oh, and the BLT and tuna melt is a great option as well.
When the sun goes down, there are typically a number of regulars out front of the restaurant holding a bottle of whatever’s cold and cheap in one hand, and a corn hole bean bag in the other. Everyone’s super-friendly, just as long as you’re not overly obnoxious or unkind.
The laid-back mentality of the owners and employees of Art’s is commonplace when you’re in Kitty Hawk. The Wright brother’s worked tirelessly to achieve the world’s first successful, heavier-than-air flight in the town over 100 years ago, and since then, it seems like no one’s been in a hurry to accomplish anything in Kitty Hawk that’s been nearly as important as what the two brothers from Dayton, OH accomplished in 1903. And that’s okay. You’re in Kitty Hawk, you’re at the beach, and you’re probably on vacation.
No one will look down upon you if you spent the entire day doing nothing but drinking beer, eating burgers, and watching the waves roll in.
Although Art’s slogan is “Locals welcomed, tourists tolerated,” the establishment is run by some seriously friendly and kind people, who are more than happy to go out of their way to ensure that both you and your stomach are happy.
It’s absolutely worth mentioning that there’s live jazz music on Monday nights, which is a guaranteed good time. It’s also worth noting that Busch Light and PBR is just $1.50 a bottle all day, every day, which is good to know if you’ve spent all of your vacation savings on accommodations and unexpected travel expenses.
The burgers are juicy and made to order, the beer is always flowing freely, and the fries are too delicious to share. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, consider checking out Art’s next time you’re on the beach road in Kitty Hawk.
Art’s Place
4624 North Virginia Dare Trail
Kitty Hawk, NC 27949
(252) 261-3233/span>
Art's was included on our list of 24 restaurants that Outer Banks locals frequent. Visit the link above to see the full rundown!