Beaufort waterfront restaurants
Front Street, Beaufort
A row of restaurants looking straight across Taylor's Creek to the wild horses on Carrot Island. Seafood, docks to tie up at, and tables outside when the weather allows.
Beaufort · Morehead City · Crystal Coast
Food & Do
Where we send our guests to eat, fish, paddle and explore — a local guide to the Crystal Coast from five miles outside historic Beaufort.
The area
A small town with a long waterfront.
Beaufort is the third-oldest town in North Carolina, sitting where Taylor's Creek meets the Intracoastal Waterway. Morehead City, Atlantic Beach and the Bogue Banks beaches are all a short drive across the bridge.
We keep this guide deliberately plain: names, places and what they are. Hours, seasons and prices change, so call ahead or check the business directly before you set out.
Local guide
Dining
Carteret County eats well. These are the places guests ask us about most — from waterfront tables in Beaufort to no-frills seafood along the sound.
Morehead City waterfront
Evans Street, Morehead City
The working waterfront across the bridge, with long-standing seafood houses and views of the shrimp boats and the high-rise bridge.
Atlantic Beach and Emerald Isle
Bogue Banks
Beach-side dining on the island — casual seafood, breakfast places that open early for anglers, and ice cream for the drive home.
Local seafood markets
Beaufort and Morehead City
Buy shrimp, flounder or tuna off the boat and cook it on the grill at your site. Ask at the office who has landed what this week.
Local guide
On the water
The waterway is the reason most guests come. These are the trips worth planning a day around.
Cape Lookout National Seashore
Reachable by passenger ferry
The black-and-white diamond lighthouse, wide empty beaches and shelling on the Core Banks. Passenger ferries run from Beaufort and Harkers Island.
Shackleford Banks wild horses
Across Taylor's Creek
A protected herd of wild horses lives on the barrier island opposite Beaufort. Ferries and tour boats run across daily in season.
Fishing the Intracoastal Waterway
From our ramp and piers
Guests fish from the pier, launch from the private ramp, or book a charter with a local captain. Red drum, speckled trout and flounder are the usual targets inshore.
Kayaking Core Creek and the marshes
From the park
Quiet water and marsh creeks to paddle straight from the property, with herons, egrets and — on a good morning — dolphins in the channel.
Local guide
Attractions ashore
Rainy day, rest day, or travelling with people who don't fish — there is plenty to do on land.
North Carolina Maritime Museum
Front Street, Beaufort
Coastal history, boatbuilding and the Queen Anne's Revenge — Blackbeard's flagship, recovered from Beaufort Inlet.
Beaufort Historic Site
Turner Street, Beaufort
Restored buildings, the old burying ground and walking tours through one of the oldest towns in the state.
North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores
Bogue Banks
An easy afternoon with children — river otters, sharks and the sunken-ship dive tank.
Sand Dollar Island
Between Beaufort and Shackleford Banks
A small sandbar island across from the Beaufort waterfront, a favourite wading and shelling stop on calm days — sand dollars and other treasures wash up along its shore.
Double-decker bus tour
Beaufort
See the historic district from the top deck — an easy orientation to Beaufort's old homes, churches and waterfront.
Pirate ship cruise
Beaufort waterfront
A pirate-themed boat adventure for the kids, sailing out of the Beaufort waterfront in season.
Fort Macon State Park
Atlantic Beach
A restored Civil War-era fort at the mouth of the inlet, with beach access, a swimming area and trails.
Local guide
Events & seasons
Beaufort keeps a busy calendar — festivals in spring and autumn, boat shows, music on the waterfront and holiday flotillas in December. Check the park's events calendar on the home page for what is happening while you are here.
Before you go
A note on listings and coupons
The legacy page carried business coupons and promotional descriptions supplied by third parties. Those offers are not republished until each business confirms they are still valid, and every outbound link is re-verified before launch.
Hours, seasonal closures, ferry schedules and travel times are set by each business or agency. We do not state them here — check with the destination directly.