Blue Moon Beach Grill 

Overview:

The Blue Moon Beach Grill is a popular restaurant at 102 E Dove Street in Nags Head, North Carolina. This is right on the bypass near the Sound Veterinary Hospital. They are open 11:30-9 every day except for Tuesday when they are closed. Blue Moon offers seafood, sandwiches, and salads. It is known for the Philly cheesesteaks and buffalo shrimp appetizer. 

Blue Moon only offers a dine-in eating experience. You cannot order food for takeout or delivery. This makes eating at Blue Moon more difficult. Being one of the most popular restaurants on the beach, they quickly get busy for lunch, especially dinner. So reservations are a must when visiting Blue Moon. I recommend reserving a dinner spot a week in advance for dinner in the summer. They usually have spots open during lunch even the day of, but it also fills up quickly. You can book a reservation through Google which partners with Toast to provide reservations here. 

The Food:

Oysters Rockefeller 

We visited Blue Moon for lunch because it was the only time reservations were available. Our party ordered the oysters Rockefeller appetizer. It included five oysters baked with spinach, bacon, bread crumbs, Pernod sauce, and Parmesan cheese. These oysters were cooked perfectly. I used the lemon wedge before eating the oyster in one bite. The parmesan cheese and spinach stood out the most, providing a sharp and creamy flavor. 

Buffalo Shrimp

Our second appetizer was the fried buffalo shrimp. It came with six pieces of golden fried shrimp, that were tossed in buffalo sauce. They are served with a side of ranch or blue cheese and celery sticks. I thought the shrimp were plump, sweet, and perfectly cooked. Even though they were deep-fried, the shrimp were juicy and breaded just enough. I really liked the buffalo sauce and it went well with the blue cheese I dipped it in. 

Chicken Tortilla Soup

One of the people in my group ordered the chicken tortilla soup. This was the soup of the day and included chicken, tortillas, yellow curry ginger, and vegetables. They enjoyed the soup and also used the lime to provide extra flavor. 

Philly Cheesesteak

Blue Moon is known for making one of the best Philly cheesesteaks around. This tempted three out of the six people in my party to order it. The sandwich includes tender shaved ribeye steak on a freshly toasted hoagie roll with house-made whiz cheese sauce. It is all topped with sauteed onions and mushrooms. If you do not want the cheese whiz they offer melted American or provolone instead. 

Everyone who ordered the sandwich enjoyed it a lot and ate all or most of their meal. I was able to try a piece of the sandwich and thought the bread and steak stood out the most. You can definitely tell they use shaved ribeye because the meat was tender and juicy. Next time I come here this is what I will be ordering. 

Seafood Bucatini

One of the people I ate with ordered the seafood bucatini. It included bucatini tossed in pesto sauce with sauteed shrimp, scallops, long-stem artichoke hearts, roasted Roma tomatoes, baby spinach, and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. I was able to try all parts of this dish and was amazed at how well they cooked this seafood pasta.

Normally when seafood pasta is served at a restaurant, I find the seafood to be overcooked. However, Blue Moon did a great job at making sure the scallops and shrimp in this dish were cooked perfectly. The scallops were tender and buttery, while the shrimp were plump and juicy. I also enjoyed the pesto sauce which was not overpowered with basil but instead balanced nicely because of the sweet Roma tomatoes. The parmesan Reggiano cheese gave the dish a nice sharp finish. 

Oyster Po'boy 

The dish I ate was the oyster po'boy with a side of French fries. It came on a fresh toasted hoagie roll with delicately fried oysters, lettuce, tomato, and a side of jalapeno remoulade sauce. I really enjoyed this dish, with the oysters having lots of flavor and not being breaded too heavily. The breading was light and complimented the delicate taste of the oysters. I liked the remoulade sauce and found myself dipping the sandwich in it many times. 

Service:

When we first arrived at Blue Moon I let the hostess know I had a reservation for six. We were seated immediately even though it was a few minutes before our reservation. Our waitress helped explain the menu items as it was the first time we visited Blue Moon. She also meticulously came around during our meal to make sure our waters were full. The food came out in the correct order with the appetizers being properly spaced out from the entrees. Overall I was impressed with the service and efficiency of the workers. 

Atmosphere:

The atmosphere in Blue Moon is very nice and properly themed. You can see surfboards on the ceiling, fish on the walls, and a modern design all throughout. The floors are wood, the trim is painted a dark blue, and the main walls are white. I think this creates an inviting dining experience and makes everything feel open and spacious. 

Blue Moon did move from a small space in a strip mall to this new location on the bypass. The building is large and built from the ground up to accommodate more patrons. This boasts an open kitchen, a full bar, and an outside area to play games and sit down. 

Rating: Excellent |⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐|

Blue Moon Beach Grill is one of the best restaurants in the Outer Banks. This is seen by how hard it is to actually get a table for lunch and especially dinner. The menu is kept simple with traditional seafood dishes, and cult classics like the Philly cheesesteak. Also, the service is spectacular with an attentive waitstaff, it made the whole meal much better. The inclusion of the open kitchen makes you feel more connected to the food-making process. As you can see the chefs and assistants prepare vegetables, fish, and sauces. When the food is ready to be served, it is quickly put on the counter and then brought to the table. If you are looking to try Blue Moon for the first time, make sure to get a reservation well in advance!