KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. — The annual Outer Banks Taste of the Beach is underway and runs through Sunday.
The annual event is put on by the Outer Banks Restaurant Association. Fifteen restaurants from Rodanthe to Manteo to Duck are taking part.
Outer Banks Brewing Station in Kill Devil Hills is hosting four events during Taste of the Beach, including a chowder cook-off this weekend.
“I think it’s a way to showcase some of the creativity in the kitchen and the front of the house,” said Elizabeth Clark-Gomez, a manager at Outer Banks Brewing Station.
The crew has spent the past few days getting ready.
“A lot of coordination with staff, with purveyors, coordination between managers, the chef as far as his creative menus,” Clark-Gomez said. “We brought in the brewmaster to give his beer take.”
It’s a prelude to the upcoming high season on the Outer Banks when crowds flock not only to the beaches but also to restaurants.
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Over at the Jolly Roger Restaurant and Bar, they’re not only getting ready for Outer Banks Taste of the Beach but also a major expansion that should be ready later this year.
It will feature a two-story bar and an entertainment venue.
Andrea Sullivan, general manager at the Jolly Roger, said the establishment needs to staff up.
“With the new bar, we’re going to need many more people, which we are in the process of interviewing and hiring for the season,” she said. “We also rely on foreign exchange students, which we have every year.”
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Sullivan said in the meantime, they’re ready to welcome this weekend’s crowds.
“I just look forward to showing people what we have going on to bringing them into our world,” she said. “And becoming part of theirs.”
Although many of the Taste of the Beach events are sold out, some still have tickets available. More information can be found at the Taste of The Beach website.
