Local seafood and all-natural meats meet international flavors in our longtime favorite Hatteras restaurant. Rusty's Surf & Turf restaurant in Buxton, NC, brings international flavors to the Hatteras Island dining scene. The hallmarks of Rusty's cuisine are using local seafood and all-natural meats in simple yet boldly flavorful presentations.
Owner/chef Rusty Midgett, a Hatteras native, left the island and honed his restaurant and kitchen skills in some of Philadelphia's best restaurants with top chefs in the industry. His cooking style is inspired by his training in French and Italian restaurants as well as by some of the places he has traveled on surf trips.
Owner/chef Rusty Midgett, a Hatteras native, left the island and honed his restaurant and kitchen skills in some of Philadelphia's best restaurants with top chefs in the industry. His cooking style is inspired by his training in French and Italian restaurants as well as by some of the places he has traveled on surf trips.
Services
Chef Rusty Midgett starts with local seafood, all-natural meats like chicken, pork and beef and local produce then adds global touches and flavors, all the while letting the original food shine. Perennial customer favorites in the Buxton, NC, restaurant range from Pamlico Paella to Low Country Shrimp and Grits, Hawaiian-marinated Kalbi Steak to slow-smoked Baby Back Ribs and one of the best vegetarian stir-fry dishes on the Outer Banks.
Reservations are strongly recommended as we are usually fully booked by 5 p.m. Being flexible with the time (and possibly the day) that you would like to dine will help ensure you get a table. We recommend parties of 8 or more make a reservation by phone a couple days in advance since parties that size are blocked from making reservations on the app.
Reserve your table now to experience our paella, shrimp and grits, pasta, mahi-mahi, tuna, ribs, delicious steaks, shrimp, calamari, fried green tomatoes, coconut mahi-mahi bites. Reservations are very easy to make from our Facebook page, website, Google listing or TripAdvisor listing. Reserve your table now to experience our paella, shrimp and grits, pasta, mahi-mahi, tuna, ribs, delicious steaks, shrimp, calamari, fried green.
Reviews (25)
Chris Brownfield
Nov 26, 2021
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Leann Tsou
Oct 29, 2021
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Pat D.
Oct 17, 2021
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I give credit where credit is due. One of the better dining experiences I've ever had. Hostesses and server were fantastic and accommodating with our kids. Our drinks and meals were great and even our 3 year old said "That was a really good dinner" on our way home. We will definitely be back for a few more margaritas and dinner!
John Forbes
Oct 14, 2021
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Lisa B.
Oct 04, 2021
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We came @ 7PM on a Sunday, after making a reservation earlier. (It closes at 8; not 9) They were already sold out of some selections, but we were content with Steak & a cashew vegetable stir-fry-- cooked to perfection! It is the beach, so there are stairs to climb to come in, but also a ramp to the far right. Outdoor seating available, but was all full when we came. We were the only table in the bar area, and were immediately waited on. An experiment to be repeated, hopefully. The prices online were lower by a couple of dollars than the actual menu.
Ashley S.
Oct 03, 2021
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Food was AWESOME. A little pricey, but I mean what do you expect, vacation, beach, good time = money. We went apps for a light dinner. Hushpuppy crusted oysters with a Cajun remoulade(I didn't eat any but the hubby said they were good...not fishy at all ), fried green tomatoes(I could have eaten three plates of these; 4 good sized but not too thick slices with roasted shallot aioli, feta, fried country ham, and balsamic drizzle....)I am telling you TO.DIE. FOR, Tempura shrimp(for an appetizer it was perfect, crispy outside, perfectly done, large shrimp (4)with honey habanero sauce) the hubs also
Deborah Clark
Sep 25, 2021
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Ferman Yoder
Aug 18, 2021
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The food, service, and atmosphere was amazing.
Liza was an amazing waitress, gave us great suggestions and was very attentive to our needs.
I got the Kalbi Steak with sticky rice.
The steak was so juicy, bursting with Hawaiian flavors and I think I heard angels sing when I was eating it!! [I should have got up and did a hula dance but that probably would have been embarrassing for everyone😊]
The fresh catch of the day was so good that my conservative wife almost got up to let loose a loud rebel yell, even though we are Northerners.
I personally do not like Tuna, but my daughter in law shared
Liza was an amazing waitress, gave us great suggestions and was very attentive to our needs.
I got the Kalbi Steak with sticky rice.
The steak was so juicy, bursting with Hawaiian flavors and I think I heard angels sing when I was eating it!! [I should have got up and did a hula dance but that probably would have been embarrassing for everyone😊]
The fresh catch of the day was so good that my conservative wife almost got up to let loose a loud rebel yell, even though we are Northerners.
I personally do not like Tuna, but my daughter in law shared
Sabrina G.
Aug 14, 2021
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We were new to the islands and looking for a yummy places to eat. Came across Rusty's and had to try it. Cocktail was distasteful and bland. Hush puppies were decent but definitely frozen. "Shrimp fettuchini"(how the menu spells it) was bland as well and NOT worth $25.99. The only thing we found was good were the French fries on the kids menu. Vegetable egg rolls were definitely frozen as well. We were just disappointed. Server wasn't terrible but not attentive in a restaurant that wasn't very busy.
Melissa Smith
Jul 31, 2021
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Friendly staff, delicious food, not too long of a wait on our food for it being a busy Friday night. we called for reservations an hour and a half ahead of time so we didn't have a wait. the waitress was polite and friendly and the food was amazing. a young chef was brought out to diners twice to receive compliments. I never liked key lime pie and this key lime pie was one of the best pies i have ever had. I will be going there again when i come back next year for vacation.
Carmen W.
Jul 24, 2021
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Staci Primmer
Jul 20, 2021
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Melissa Chow
Jul 15, 2021
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Absolutely the best food I've had on my trips to the outer banks. It's obvious that they take pride in the food they serve and everything on the menu is unique and full of amazing flavor. Even my kids who ate from the kids menu and are 7 and 10 raved about their food. The staff is also great especially our server Liza 😀!
Update: So good we went back again the next night and tried the Ribs (SOOOO GOOD) and Shrimp fettuccine and loved that as well. When your kids chicken tenders are the best you've tried you know the chef is on point! Also, we got to meet Rusty (Chef) and of course he awesome
Update: So good we went back again the next night and tried the Ribs (SOOOO GOOD) and Shrimp fettuccine and loved that as well. When your kids chicken tenders are the best you've tried you know the chef is on point! Also, we got to meet Rusty (Chef) and of course he awesome
Heather C.
Jul 11, 2021
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Kathryn W.
Jul 08, 2021
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My husband and I went with our 7 and 1 year o my husband ordered a medium rare steak and I ordered yellow fin tuna and we got my son the fried shrimp. The server came out about 30 minutes later and said they were waiting on the kid's meal. The food finally came out and my husband's steak was way over done . The rest of us finished eating and his new steak finally came out. I had a sleepy one year old and a cranky 7 year old after all of this. The only thing they comped from the check was my husband's drink. I understand it is covid and all, but there weren't many apologies and
Anna P.
Jul 05, 2021
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This place is a solid 4/5 on all counts. The name is a bit misleading though, as there is no actual surf AND turf option on the menu, which was a bit disappointing for me personally, as I was really looking forward to ordering an entree that combines meat and seafood.
My fiance and I decided to make a dinner reservation here when it became clear that this was pretty much the only good restaurant that was open on July 4 in our area. And while overall we were not disappointed, we were not blown away either.
We were seated right away and placed our order quickly However, it took quite a while
My fiance and I decided to make a dinner reservation here when it became clear that this was pretty much the only good restaurant that was open on July 4 in our area. And while overall we were not disappointed, we were not blown away either.
We were seated right away and placed our order quickly However, it took quite a while
Rusty W.
Jun 12, 2021
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Claudia Hurd
Apr 30, 2021
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Katie F.
Oct 24, 2020
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Andrew C.
Oct 22, 2020
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Bethany P.
Sep 18, 2020
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This restaurant is delicious, by far the most high quality food you will get in this area! Everything is made from scratch. Everything is made with love!!
The Kahuku Shrimp is exceptional. The Teriyaki Mahi Special is delicious. You can get chicken wings and crab dip to fish entrees and homemade desserts-- no matter what, it will be prepared to a very high standard and you will not be disappointed.
Liza hosted the experience for us and she was attentive and friendly! The man behind these well thought out dishes, Rusty!, came by the table to say hi and it was so delightful!! Can't wait to
The Kahuku Shrimp is exceptional. The Teriyaki Mahi Special is delicious. You can get chicken wings and crab dip to fish entrees and homemade desserts-- no matter what, it will be prepared to a very high standard and you will not be disappointed.
Liza hosted the experience for us and she was attentive and friendly! The man behind these well thought out dishes, Rusty!, came by the table to say hi and it was so delightful!! Can't wait to
Teri W.
Sep 13, 2020
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Not good.
The crab dip appetizer had very little flavor. If we didn't have the salty chips for dipping, it would have been blah.
The entree was horrible! Shrimp fettuccine... it contained ingredients that were not on the menu... green peppers, red peppers and what appeared to be Kale. All this made the sauce taste horrible. I tried to eat it, I really did but ended up leaving 75%.
The crab dip appetizer had very little flavor. If we didn't have the salty chips for dipping, it would have been blah.
The entree was horrible! Shrimp fettuccine... it contained ingredients that were not on the menu... green peppers, red peppers and what appeared to be Kale. All this made the sauce taste horrible. I tried to eat it, I really did but ended up leaving 75%.
J. W.
Aug 29, 2020
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Abby P.
Jul 12, 2020
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I see a lot of reviewers on here saying how good the food and service is but then only giving 4 stars!! The food was delicious, service from Liza was amazing, and an overall excellent dinner. Wonderful restaurant that we will be returning to. I have celiac disease and they were very knowledgeable about gluten-free accommodations.
Stefano Peralma
Jun 13, 2020
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