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The Black Pelican is one of the best restaurants in the Outer Banks. It is located in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. You will enjoy incredible panoramic views of the ocean at your meal. The restaurant has an outside deck for oceanfront dining.
The building was first built in 1874 as a United States Life Saving Station. It was then converted into a restaurant and maintained its rich history. You get to learn about the region’s maritime history while enjoying an amazing meal.
The Kitty Hawk Life Saving Station building was constructed in 1874. In the beginning, it had one keeper and a crew of six surfmen. Their main role was to rescue people trapped along the Outer Banks by the dangerous waters.
While they were going about their duties, the lifesavers noticed a black pelican. The region had seen many violent storms which reduced visibility. This made it difficult for the crew. They noticed The Black Pelican circling the shore. It was also swooping down to warn them of distressed vessels. This happened repeatedly and caught the eye of the crew members. Whenever they noticed the bird, they knew a disaster was coming. The pelican would lead them through violent storms to sinking vessels and survivors.
W.D Tate, the station’s original keeper, recorded the pelican’s actions for years. It often led to successful rescues and helped the crew members a lot in their efforts.
The Green tank steamer, Kyzikes, was in trouble on December 3, 1927. The crewmen claimed the Black Pelican saved them. The bird skimmed the surface of the storm waters fearlessly. It stayed with the crew until the rescuers arrived. The twenty-eight crewmen noted that the bird gave them hope and many of them survived to tell the tale.
The Black Pelican vanished when the Life Saving Station closed. The number of pelicans in the area was dwindling at the time due to factors like:
Currently, the pelican species is stabilizing because of government-funded restabilization projects. Conservationists in the region are fighting to bring the Black Pelican back. Modern sightings of the Black Pelican have been reported.
The Black Pelican of Kitty Hawk is a legend. It can be traced back to the Middle Ages when it was seen as a symbol of charity, sacrifice, and love.
The lunch and dinner menu includes various options, including:
The Black Pelican Kitty Hawk NC seafood specialties are fantastic. They are delicious, made from scratch, and use local ingredients. Some of the specialties include:
Succulent sea scallops that are wrapped in maple pepper bacon. They are grilled using caramelized onion and sweet thyme sauce. It also includes Kahlua mashed sweet potatoes and is served with seasonal vegetables.
The lump crab cakes are delicately fried using Tuscan remoulade. It is served with garden rice. You can also include fresh steamed green beans.
This special is made by sauteing plump shrimp with garlic, tomatoes, and onions. The chef uses Tabasco butter sauce. The meal is served over jalapeno cheese grits.
This meal includes shrimp, scallops, and lump crab meat. The bacon is sauteed with tomatoes, baby spinach, and sweet corn. It is then folded into a creamy roasted garlic risotto. You can top it with some crispy sweet potato nest for the perfect serving.
You will find a lot of options to take home from the gift shop. There are many branded items, including:
The Black Pelican is open throughout the year. It serves lunch and dinner from Tuesday to Sunday. It is closed on Mondays. When open, the hours of operation are between 11:30 am and 9:00 pm.
The restaurant remains closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. This allows employees to enjoy the holidays with their loved ones.
The Black Pelican is highly reviewed on the internet. Praise is on both the location and menu. An Outer Banks Visitor Guide says, “Don't overlook desserts here. Save room for delicious homemade cakes and cheesecakes. Other desserts will catch your eye from the dessert case as you make your way into the dining room.”
A Google review by Stefan Kowalewski mentions that the restaurant has “Great food". It goes on to praise the great service, and great view of the ocean from the upstairs dining area.
The Black Pelican Kitty Hawk NC restaurant offers outdoor dining. This gives a magnificent view of the ocean.
Yes, the Black Pelican exists. It is a large water bird that has dark plumage. This is different from common pelican species that have a lighter-colored plumage. The feathers of the Black pelican are usually a dark purple to indigo, instead of black. When flying, it appears black, hence the name.
Black pelicans tend to live near cliffs.
After getting accepted to ECU, I started looking for things to do in and around Greenville, NC. However, my searches kept taking me to places in South Carolina! There must be things to do around ECU, so I started asking other students. They kept telling me to graduate and move away! This inspired me to begin exploring eastern North Carolina and build this website as a showcase of the places to go, sights to see, and things to do all over eastern NC. I have fallen in love with this region and started taking up roots here. After graduating, I didn't move away - I bought a house here and continue to explore eastern North Carolina.
