OBX Waterfront Dining at Basnight's Lone Cedar Café

Dining out is one of the wonderful pleasures of life. No hassle of cooking at home and so much to look forward to when you find the right restaurant!

One of the great things about the Outer Banks is that the area is in no shortage of dining options. A quick Google search for “Outer Banks Restaurants” instantly brings up around nineteen pages of results… so getting recommendations by friends, family, and locals is the best way to find those restaurants that are above and beyond average and are sure to give you a great experience. That’s why I’m here to share more about Basnight’s Lone Cedar Café!

It’s not every day you turn thirty. In fact, you only get that opportunity once in a lifetime if you’re lucky. On the weekend of my thirtieth birthday, my wife and I decided we wanted to have a great meal out, but somewhere casual and with a relaxed environment. We quickly whittled away at our list of ideas and concluded that local seafood and a great steak was what we were hungry for. This left a handful of candidates, but ultimately Basnight’s got the nod… here’s why:

Basnight’s is the definition of a casual, comfortable, inviting restaurant with coastal Carolina charm. When you first enter the building you’re greeted with the most comfortable looking waiting area and instantly allured by all the pieces of art and decoration.

Not only is the interior inviting, but the exterior as well. Basnight’s is right on the water on the Nags Head causeway and offers spectacular views of sunsets and the surrounding nature. They’re an osprey nest right outside of the main dining room and here’s a photo of their herb garden taking root during our visit.

The service is equally as hospitable as the welcoming views. We started out the evening with a complimentary basket of cornbread and rolls coupled with a flight of beer samples for me and a martini for my wife. What a satisfying way to begin the meal!

When it came time for the main course, Basnight’s did not disappoint. My wife’s Cobia steaks and Brussels sprouts were cooked perfectly. If you’ve never tried Cobia before you must. It’s a denser whitefish but with a very buttery and enjoyable taste. It’s becoming rarer to find on menus these days so we were very excited to order it.

As for me, I did the heavy lifting and ordered the filet mignon. At the ripe age of thirty, I felt myself entering an era of challenging my youth (I know, thirty is still young) so it felt required of me to consume a copious amount of meat for this celebratory dinner. Once again, Basnight’s delivered! The cut was a 10oz filet, which is larger than what I’ve seen on most menus at restaurants on the beach beside actual steakhouses. It was cooked perfectly to my medium-rare liking and came partnered with a tasty scalloped potato recipe and caramelized onions for additional guilty pleasure.

We did wind things down with a fresh dessert, which we don’t normally partake. It was a tasty chocolate cake and was devoured before photographs could be taken. Here’s another shot of some of the coastal decor, which I absolutely love about the place.

Basnight’s is steeped in rich Outer Banks culture and that’s part of what I love about the restaurant. The Basnight family has a long history in Dare County and it’s fun to wonder how many of the curios hanging from the walls belonged to family members and may have interesting stories behind them.

I think it’s time you give this restaurant a try if you haven’t already.They have a very comprehensive website with sample menus for your own temptation! You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Overall, I’d never hesitate to recommend them to family and friends and was extremely delighted with our latest experience there. If you do stop in, let them know their friends at Village Realty sent you their way. They typically have special menus available for holiday events and buffets as well (if you’re looking for even more reason to go) and Village Realty offers plenty of rental home choices in Nags Head as well.

Thanks again for stopping by. Now go out and get your OBX eats on!

-Robert Kissell

Outer Banks Blog

OBX Vacay Channel

OBX Waterfront Dining at Basnight's Lone Cedar Café

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