Pop’s Raw Bar & Restaurant

PBR Specials in tandem with seafood bites, seafood croquettes, and fried pickles. What is not to love in this low key divey local hang out no pretension or draft beer.

Food is OK. Use to Love to get a grilled tuna sandwich on Friday’s. Depending on who is behind the bar will make or break your experience. One girl could stay on top of everything blindfolded during the season and had us coming back for more. There was another one during the off season who was average but would have a meltdown if it got busy and then ignore you. Waited and waited for our check one evening. The 3^rd string girl looks and acts completely clueless. Spent 45 minutes one evening trying to add cocktail sauce to a bottle. Completely ignored her non drinking customers. Took forever to get our check and much longer to pay. Even the local drinkers at the bar seemed embarrassed over it.

Thanks to Unilocal… we had terrific late lunch. My oyster sandwich was terrific and husband loved spicey shrimp. No beers on tap but had great selection in bottles.

I love a good seafood dive bar and Pop’s KNOCKS it outta the park! It’s seriously some of the best bar food I’ve ever had. From the outside it looks like a biker bar and the interior is super divey with lots of fun signage to keep you entertained.
NOMS
–Lemon-​Pepper steamed Scallops were perfectly cooked and had nice zing from the lemon. The portion is super generous and because scallops are naturally (and sometimes overwhelmingly) sweet, it’s best to split this among a group.
–Spicy Steamed Shrimp were incredibly fresh and sweet with just the right amount of addictive bay seasoning.
–Hot Wings: Loved that they’re lightly fried and served with the sauce on the side.
Our waitress was AMAZING too — the place was «pop”-ing (sorry, had to do it) and she was pretty much the only employee on the floor but she was a total rock star getting out drinks and orders to hungry and thirsty bar goers.
Like another review said, the set-​up isn’t great for groups with young children since it’s mostly high-​top tables and bar side seating.
You gotta check out this place for the cheap, simple, and super fresh seafood and the fun local vibe. Love you, Pop’s — thanks for the memorable time!

hard to get a table at certain parts of the day and that says everything you need to know. never had a bad experience and food is excellent.
wings, beer, shrimp, daily specials are all excellent choices. can’t ask for much more in a hatteras local dive, you won’t regret it!

Stopped here on a family recommendation. Definitely worth it! Small parking lot out back. Tiny place with tons of character. Don’t let the outside stop you from entering. The food is fabulous! The 3 from the sea platter brought some fried scallops, shrimp, and oysters that were excellent! Lightly coated and cooked to perfection. Tuna special cooked to order was nicely seasoned and cooked as ordered. Not a huge beer list but enough variety to choose one that you might like. Large parties can go across the street to the fish house, same menu and owner. Great first visit.

Loved this place! I was looking for a new place to take my family as Down Under closed and we always like to support the local businesses. We don’t care much for fancy, although being on the water was a nice touch. The food — Especially apps were incredible and really fresh. I highly recommend the spicy shrimp, buffalo shrimp, onion rings, and jalapeño poppers. We were all so full we couldn’t finish our entres. And to top it off, the price was right and the service was great. Will definitely be back next year if we are in the area.

This is the place some of the island’s core food (by that, I mean the reason you come to the outter banks). I recommend getting whatever is on their board, it’s the fresh catch of the day and always worth it!
If you stop in, and you should, the spicy shrimp is a must! Be aware, you have to peel them yourself and they are not deveined, so you eat them like an islander and it’s worth it!

I love this place! It was the first seafood place we tried on the island and the only one we will visit from now on. It’s a small place but full of friendly locals with great stories and advice. The steamed menu is off the chart! Fresh local seafood. Try the shrimp, it is delicious!
Arrive early, the place fills up fast.

This place was really good. The only comment I have to add was that I wouldn’t say it was suitable for families like the sign says. It’s a dive bar. The place is tiny. It has bar seating, 4 two seater tables and 2 five seaters. And no beer or soft drinks on tap. Only bottles and cans. But like the others said, the chowder and crab balls were very good.
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Food: 5 stars
Service: 4 stars

This place is awesome! If you’re looking for a dive bar, this is the literal definition of one. Cheap drinks, cheap and delicious food (all fresh seafood), who could want anything more?! Very similar vibe to Harpoon Larry’s in VA Beach or The Dockhouse in Beaufort, NC.

So happy to have found Pops on our first night of vacation! The four of us shared the «meal for two» and added an appetizer and extra shrimp and oysters and it was just right. Our favorites were the crab balls and hush puppies! It’s a super casual/​small restaurant with a bar in the center and tables surrounding. Plastic forks, plates, and cups and laid back atmosphere. Our only complaint was the amount if seasoning on the scallops but we will definitely go back!

The best I can describe this place is just a no frills local coastal tavern. It’s atmosphere is nothing to talk about but we didn’t go there for atmosphere we went for food. Their steamed shrimp was great! Very fresh, cooked perfect and rather inexpensive. The service was good which was amazing considering one woman was bar tending, bussing tables, operating the cash register, and serving about 50 people. Definitely a place we’d be happy to visit again for the steamed shrimp alone.

Stopped and had dinner with the wife. Love the local no frills atmosphere. Very homey feeling. Got shrimp, scallops, crab-​cakes and great hushpuppies. Plus the beer is ice-​cold!

Had to go back for more… Absolutely love earing at Pop’s. Today I had the Carolina style chowder that’s not on the menu. It could have used bigger clam bites but the broth was excellent. Scallop plate was cooked to perfection Outstanding value for the money

Yes for local bars! I was so over the highly visited vacation spots that yeah were cute, but the food was just okay. Pop’s really was AMAZING! So amazing that my boyfriend and I stopped there 3 times on our week long vacation. I didn’t have high hopes for the place walking in to the small square bar surrounded with a few tables but boy was I pleasantly surprised! I recommend the raw oysters, and steamed shrimp!

A no frills seafood restaurant in a nice location. Small eating area inside centered around a bar. You can order take out.
Food was served quickly and very tasty. Good sized portions. Both fried and steamed options available.

It doesn’t get more local than this! This place is the true embodiment of the local dive bar/​restaurant. Actually, after eating at more than a dozen places on Hatteras Island, I’m convinced that POP’S is the only establishment locals visit on a daily basis.
Hands down the best and most unique clam chowder I’ve ever tasted and I’ve tasted a lot of them over the years. I ordered it on a whim and at first was extremely skeptical and a bit disappointed (because I was expecting a New England style cream base) about eating the bowl full of brownish broth with generous chunks of clam and potato that the waitress put before me. It was nothing fancy looking that’s for sure, but I took one bite and was instantly hooked. I can’t even explain why it was so good other than it was uniquely flavored and peppered. Tried to order a quart of it «to go» for me and the rest of my housemates to eat back at the beach house but got shot down. I can assure you that I’m not the first person to try!

GO WHERE THE LOCALS GO!
That is all you need to know. You might even get a round on Pops himself!
Great group of people in here. Come in looking like family and you will be treated like family. Also a great place to get the scoop on the days fishing.
Oh and the bartender was cute as hell!

BEST BAR! WENDY WAS THE BARTENDER. ONE WOMEN WONDER. Locals go here.
The clam chowder was fatastic! Fresh off the boat steam shrimp was so yummy. Will be back!