At Lone Cedar Cafe, we specialize in fresh and local Outer Banks seafood. If you're craving the freshest fish, clams, crab, shrimp and oysters from local North Carolina waters, you'll find them at the Lone Cedar Cafe. For generations, Outer Banks families made their livings - and their daily meals - from the bounty of local waters, caught fresh every day.
Our family, the Basnights, were part of that history, and we continue the tradition today by serving only the freshest Outer Banks seafood, caught in local waters and brought to our docks daily by local fishermen, then cleaned and prepared right here at the Lone Cedar Cafe.
Our family, the Basnights, were part of that history, and we continue the tradition today by serving only the freshest Outer Banks seafood, caught in local waters and brought to our docks daily by local fishermen, then cleaned and prepared right here at the Lone Cedar Cafe.
Services
At Basnight's Lone Cedar Cafe, a family owned and operated restaurant, we're committed to serving the freshest Outer Banks seafood caught only in North Carolina waters. At Lone Cedar, you won't find any frozen, imported or farm-raised seafood of any kind. Nor will you find any frozen meats or canned vegetables stored in chemical preservatives or any mass-produced desserts.
Join us at the Osprey Lounge at Basnight's Lone Cedar Cafe where you can enjoy a birds-eye view of our osprey nest while sipping an exquisite wine, a beer or a specialty drink from our Osprey Lounge menu. The Osprey Lounge features 55 kinds of beer as well as eight on tap. Vicki is a certified vintner with much expertise in pairing wines with the foods at Lone Cedar Cafe.
We'd like to tell you what we feel is important about Basnight's Lone Cedar Cafe's catering so that you can understand the service and commitment we will bring to your event. We understand that the catering is often a major part of what makes your gathering a success, and the more you know about us, the better choices you can make.
A. We do not take reservations. If you have 10 or more people in your party, please call to put your name on our call-ahead list. While this is not a reservation, it will help us plan our seating to accommodate you as quickly as possible. A. Depending on traffic we are 45 minutes to a little more than an hour away from Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.
Reviews (29)
Gary M.
Jan 08, 2022
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Basnight's was a disappointment. There was a sign as we entered cautioning us about potentially slow service because of being short-staffed due to COVID, but we did not encounter any delays in service. Once seated, we were greeted by two servers, one of whom was supposed to be under-instruction. Oddly, however, we saw little of the under-instruction server once we placed our order although we could still see her roaming around the dining area. The wine list was expansive and impressive at first glance BUT is was clearly out of date. The first FOUR bottles of red wine we ordered were not in
Kathleen M.
Dec 27, 2021
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Melodie Taylor
Dec 23, 2021
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Waterfront dining in a warm & homey setting. Friendly service, family owned. The food is fresh & delicious; prices are reasonable. Love that they utilize an on-sight veggie & herb garden as well (makes for crisp & flavorful salad!). Twice we've gone to their Thanksgiving dinner loaded with seafood, meats, sides, desserts & full bar-- it's excellent. I'm not a big fan of turkey so that buffet with broiled fish, bacon-wrapped scallops, fried shrimp, prime rib, crab dip, etc.... really improves the holiday for our family! Re: the shrimp & grits, my only suggestion is to ditch the green peppers-- otherwise
Nikki G.
Dec 08, 2021
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My mom and I stopped in a gift shop and the workers recommend this spot and I am so glad they did. This was one of my favorite meals while I was visiting North Carolina. We had a bit of a wait, but it went by quickly. There is a huge parking lot. There is also ample seating while you wait for your table. There are chairs and benches in the restaurant foyer area, as well as a gift shop to browse. Pretty much every restaurant we went to had a gift shop attached to it. There are also rockers on the porch. But, before you sit down, make sure you walk and look at the garden, where fresh herbs and vegetables
Geneen R.
Dec 04, 2021
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Normally I would give this place a solid 5 stars. However, the evening we were waited on by the laziest waitress we have had. Many missteps happened and never apologized for. First I asked for blue cheese with my Buffalo shrimp and only ranch was came. Then with my order I asked for fried instead of a baked potato and was told that "they wouldn't be getting any fries in til tomorrow" which means our staff 30 minutes til close doesn't want to make them. They had made fries for my grandchildren's order. Our waitress Ashton couldn't wait to get rid of us. We come here
Stu G.
Nov 28, 2021
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For the price you'd think they would have a little more attention to details. Nope!
We got a to go order. I ordered a burger and fries. Burger & Fries we're both lukewarm at best. My wife ordered a salad and a cup of she crab soup. The salad and soup were good according to my wife but they didn't give us any cutlery or napkins and no condiments for the burger & fries.
We got a to go order. I ordered a burger and fries. Burger & Fries we're both lukewarm at best. My wife ordered a salad and a cup of she crab soup. The salad and soup were good according to my wife but they didn't give us any cutlery or napkins and no condiments for the burger & fries.
Beth Cantrell
Nov 03, 2021
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Megan
Nov 01, 2021
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I had food catered for a small wedding - everything was delicious!! Fried chicken, pulled pork, mac, green beans, fruit, pork skewers, cornbread - literally everything tasted so good. Even though I reached out probably later than I should of - they were very quick to get back to me and answered all my questions. So happy I found them and so thankful for all their hard work making all the food for us. Thank you so much. If your looking for a wedding caterer - look no further, this is the one!!
John B.
Oct 28, 2021
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Rachel C.
Oct 21, 2021
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Nice view and dining environment with expansive menu selections, however, most of the items we ordered are under whelming... I only gave 3-star for the she-crab soup. Hubby really liked she-crab soup. Other than that, the Crab Dips and the Blackened Flunder are just OK, the broiled crab cakes are the worst Crab cakes I've had in the OBX area (very bland, lack of textures, and most importantly, tasted very fishy...). The catch of the day Flounder has a nice presentation, but again, tasted fishy and bland... Hubby will probably still order takeout for She-crab soup only, but I will not come
Julie C.
Oct 20, 2021
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Robert Oren Eades
Oct 15, 2021
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Mike R.
Oct 08, 2021
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Nanette Malcolm
Oct 02, 2021
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Randy Parnell
Sep 29, 2021
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They have an inside bar that looks over the Osprey nests. They have tables that give you a beautiful view of the sunset on the water.
The food is delicious. The waitress said, “if the seafood doesn't swim in the channel, we don't serve it.” You can bring your cleaned catch, and they will be happy to cook it for you.
If you are wondering, the lone Cedar is no longer there.
The food is delicious. The waitress said, “if the seafood doesn't swim in the channel, we don't serve it.” You can bring your cleaned catch, and they will be happy to cook it for you.
If you are wondering, the lone Cedar is no longer there.
John Baker
Sep 21, 2021
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Lovely experience! Classic restaurant with great waterfront views. I had the blackened Tilefish, which was delicious. Everybody loves their food and drinks. The eco-conscious garden and building, as well as the gift shop, was lots of fun to explore while we were waiting for our table. Highly recommend.
Kevin Edkins
Sep 03, 2021
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Adam S.
Aug 09, 2021
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I bit of a rough night, for the price. Staff are extremely friendly. Had to wait less than 10 mins for a table on a Sunday day at 8 pm. Ordered wine and asked them to chill it for 10 mins. Within that 10 mins, our appetizers came, followed 3 minutes later by our entrees. A few mins later, our wine arrived, but it was the wrong one (we ordered Cabernet and got Chardonay), so this took a while to sort out. Waitress was very apologetic, but by the the time we ate our entrees, they were lukewarm at best. All in, check came to about $300 for the 3 of us. Seems like the kitchen doesn't
Steve F.
Jul 29, 2021
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Kelsey Foley
Jul 28, 2021
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Andrew S.
Jun 29, 2021
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Ended up eating here twice in one week. Food and service was so good on the first try (with a party of 7) that this party of 3 had to go back. I'm commenting on both meals because they both deserve to be in this review.
Kids Meals included chicken tenders and fresh flounder were also hits. Fresh Mozzarella was our starting point with apps and had a great taste. She Crab soup was another early start to our meal.
Tilefish was never an initial thought for me and several others. Every person in our group that got the tilefish (4 of 7) would have it again. Very Tasty. Broiled seafood
Kids Meals included chicken tenders and fresh flounder were also hits. Fresh Mozzarella was our starting point with apps and had a great taste. She Crab soup was another early start to our meal.
Tilefish was never an initial thought for me and several others. Every person in our group that got the tilefish (4 of 7) would have it again. Very Tasty. Broiled seafood
Brett R.
Apr 30, 2021
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FOOD TRUCK!!! 11-2. Closed Monday I think.
Awesome. An OBX tradition!!!
Great place to slide in and get classic Carolina cooking. Highly recommended!!! Can get busy with only 2 people working but not a bad wait by the sound side and well worth it!
The people working are always polite and pump the food out. It can get busy but they handle it and everyone is fed and happy!!!!
Awesome. An OBX tradition!!!
Great place to slide in and get classic Carolina cooking. Highly recommended!!! Can get busy with only 2 people working but not a bad wait by the sound side and well worth it!
The people working are always polite and pump the food out. It can get busy but they handle it and everyone is fed and happy!!!!
Andrew D.
Mar 21, 2021
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Lone Cedar is our absolute favorite for a nice family dinner!! We have been here so many times and the service is consistently good, along with the food!! Mabel did an absolutely amazing job tonight and it was such a pleasure to chat with her!! A Manteo native with a Dad who knew Andy Griffith??!! I got the fried combo that was #yummo!! My bride got she-crab soup, a wedge salad with fried scallops = #yummo Follow me on Instagram at #deitzeatz #lonecedar #nagsheadnc
Kell M.
Dec 03, 2020
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This place has huge portions, a bit pricey for the area but the meal is ample.
I had the fried fish (flounder) with sweet potato mash and squash casserole. The fish was so good, flaky and delicious! The tartar sauce tastes homemade and the sides were also very good and tasted homemade.
You can tell they make it all fresh which I love.
We have a party of 8 and even during COVID they were able to accommodate.
I had the fried fish (flounder) with sweet potato mash and squash casserole. The fish was so good, flaky and delicious! The tartar sauce tastes homemade and the sides were also very good and tasted homemade.
You can tell they make it all fresh which I love.
We have a party of 8 and even during COVID they were able to accommodate.
Rebecca M.
Oct 02, 2020
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Tonight's adventure... was Basnight's Lone Cedar Cafe! Got there around 5:45 was given my choice of seating.. chose the bar because it leaves tables open for bigger parties. I got the She crab soup (more like a chowder but delicious all the same) you know it's real crab when you take a few pieces of shell out although I pick crabs so all good. Then I chose the crab cake dinner (since no soft shells) with squash casserole and whipped sweet potatoes.. my meal was delicious and the bartender Riley gave outstanding service.. tried to catch the Moon rise but the clouds were in my view
Kati S.
Sep 03, 2020
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Wow. Stopped in for an anniversary dinner tonight and could not be more happy we stumbled on this gem. I could rave about each and every thing we ordered so I'll try to keep it quick.
Drinks: spicy watermelon margarita. Just do your mouth a favor and order this. It IS spicy, but mostly spicy flavor, not hot like you can't drink it. Hubs grabbed a local summer sour and ordered a second.
Apps: we went with the pork belly and it did not disappoint. The Thai chili sauce is droolworthy and the handsome portion of pork belly was cooked perfectly.
Dinner: I wanted to order the filet, but
Drinks: spicy watermelon margarita. Just do your mouth a favor and order this. It IS spicy, but mostly spicy flavor, not hot like you can't drink it. Hubs grabbed a local summer sour and ordered a second.
Apps: we went with the pork belly and it did not disappoint. The Thai chili sauce is droolworthy and the handsome portion of pork belly was cooked perfectly.
Dinner: I wanted to order the filet, but
Cat M.
Jul 26, 2020
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Good place with a small deck overlooking the water. The inside appeared spacious but we chose to do outdoor dining due to COVID-19. This place in particular were very safety-forward. Lots of hand sanitizer & they were spacing outdoor tables more than 6 feet. A little annoying as we had to wait for a table & when I looked outside - we could have easily had been seated without being too close to people.
Pork belly app was very good & I loved the caesar salad. The tuna was good but had a lot of cumin on it. I enjoyed watched the Osprey's in their nest while we dined - very
Pork belly app was very good & I loved the caesar salad. The tuna was good but had a lot of cumin on it. I enjoyed watched the Osprey's in their nest while we dined - very
Earl S.
Jul 04, 2020
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I stopped at their food truck and the food was amazing. The shrimp were perfectly cooked and the fries were an amazing complement to the shrimp. The coleslaw was kind of spicy so I didn't eat much of it but they give you a lot of shrimp and fries for the money. So good! Their restaurant is open in the evening with plenty of parking. The food truck is open during the day time.
Jon T.
Nov 15, 2019
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We made a return visit to Lone Cedar for brunch after a couple of years absence. I was again struck by the place. It is large, but still nice, especially if you can get a seat overlooking the sound. We were there at opening on a Sunday and there was plenty of space on the water.
Previously we ordered rather ordinary breakfast. Nothing wrong with it, but decided we should try their seafood. We both ended up ordering fried shrimp, green beans and coleslaw. All was good, pretty typical actually. They were serving a smaller grade of shrimp, certainly larger than popcorn, but smaller than is
Previously we ordered rather ordinary breakfast. Nothing wrong with it, but decided we should try their seafood. We both ended up ordering fried shrimp, green beans and coleslaw. All was good, pretty typical actually. They were serving a smaller grade of shrimp, certainly larger than popcorn, but smaller than is
