Second Tier for us

The crew at the Tomato Patch

Orange Blossom Bakery-Hatteras Island-Frisco

One of our traditions is to drive to Ocracoke Island for a few days, then drive back up to Nags Head to start the main part of our vacation. This is another gem introduced by my nephew and niece Shane and Angie. The Orange Blossom is barely open until noon, but if you are near this area you are missing the boat if you dont stop. The place is best known for a fried, iced, and sugary pastry called an Apple Ugly. If you do nothing else but have a cup of coffee and an Apple Ugly you have not had a bad day. These things look ugly, but taste great. Picture an extra large cinnamon roll with bits of apples, then fry it and cover it in a sugary glaze! Wow. I personally love the homemade biscuits, made only as they can in the south. Buttery and flaky they melt in your mouth. Add a couple of eggs, american cheese and a piece of sausage, and you have my breakfast on the way up to Nags Head. The Orange Blossom is not at all fancy, and it is basically breakfast only, but if you have a taste for something uniquely Hatteras, this is the place to go! It is a four star stop.

Toppers Pizza-Hatteras Island-Buxton

Again, thank you Angie and Shane. I will not write a lot about this place, as it is also a no frills pizza shot basically tucked away in a strip mall. But, man the pizza is the best in the Outer Banks if you ask me, and the topping combinations are limitless. Add the availability of cold beer, and it is a simple but effective formula for a great lunch. It is a 3.5 star stop.

Tomato Patch-Corolla-Shopping center across from Timbuck II

Neat little pizza and Italian food place on the northern Outer Banks. The Tomato Patch is also not fancy. Frankly, I am not sure if it is GREAT food, but it sure is very good food. It has what you would expect from a sit down pizza/italian food restaurant. There is however something about the place that makes it a favorite stop for my family. Perhaps we have too many good memories of finishing a day on the northern beaches, driving around looking for wild horses, or just hanging out, but for some reason it is another must stop for us. It is a 3.5 star stop.