seafood – Bucket List Travel With The Karr Family

During our anniversary trip in the Outer banks my wife and I visited the Sandbars Raw Bar & Grill in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. The Sandbars Raw Bar & Grill is located off of US 158 in a shopping center next to Food Lion. At the moment, it is one of the Outer Banks Best Kept secrets, but not too much of a secret with the locals! This place hit us in the “feels” as it was reminiscent of one of our Favorite bars, O Sullivan’s, we frequented when we were dating.

We were greeted at the door by a welcoming gentleman, who we would later find out was the Raw Bar’s owner, Chef Mark. As we walked inside the restaurant/bar had a modern, clean look, and was divided by a wall. On one side was a Bar with tables to dine at,while the other side was equipped with another bar with pool tables as well as room for live entertainment. As I’ve followed them on social media I’ve seen numerous local artists do live music there which is perfect setting for those who have had their full of the sun and the sand.

As soon as we stepped in we were warmly greeted by our server, Nicole. Nicole had a smile on her face which gave us smiles as well. We all have had those servers who don’t want to be there…but Nicole was one hard worker, which was most evident in her way of double checking every order . She let us know about the amazingly priced drink and meal specials on the happy hour. We went on a Wednesday night,so they had ½ off wine and $5.99 burgers. The prices at this Raw Bar even without the happy hour are very reasonable, but the extra discount allows for more drinks or extra wings to be sampled. We are not the biggest raw bar eaters but the awesome thing about Chef Mark’s menu is there is literally something for everyone. From a child’s menu to late night, you will find something to eat to your hearts content. My wife informed our server of her allergies to gluten and soy. Chef Mark came out to personally speak with us and discuss all the options on the menu. To our surprise Chef Mark was able to accommodate most of his menu to make it Gluten Free and Soy Free. We also got to enjoy hearing about Chef Mark’s experience as a Chef, and his involvement with the local community. In that conversation we could hear and feel the passion he has to make good quality food that’s both affordable and fun. That;s exactly what he has accomplished at this establishment. We also saw, by evidence of pictures hanging around, that he has a love for photography; the pictures that adorn his restaurant were personally taken by Chef Mark himself.

You can even see where your oysters are from!

Here is some of the Daily Happy Hour Specials!

Named “Best of the Beach” by The Outer Banks Voice these are Served daily from 3 to 6 p.m.

James River Oysters

Order in half or full dozen increments .69 each

Oysters of the Day

Order in half or full dozen increments .80 each

Steamed Clams

Order in half or full dozen increments .65 each

Chicken Wings

Order in increments of 5. Choose Hot, medium, mild, teriyaki, BBQ, sweet Thai chili, honey/Old Bay or our famous “Samantha’s Sauce.”.75 each

Eddie Taco

Lettuce, tomato, onion and teriyaki beef

Shrimp Taco

Seasoned, fried shrimp, Asian red cabbage slaw, tomatoes and homemade cilantro sauce

Beef Slider

With cheese, Additional toppings.50 each

Steamed Shrimp

Half pound (6), Full pound (12)

Steamed Snow Crab Legs

Half or full pound -Market price

After a great conversation with Chef Mark my wife and I ordered dinner. We both decided on the Sandbar Burger on a Gluten Free bun with a side of steamed veggies, but we couldn’t pass up a plate of the Blackened Mahi Tuna Tacos. While we waited for our food my wife enjoyed a bottle of Prosecco on happy hour, and I sipped on a sweet tea. We spent some time talking to locals playing pool. This is very much a local’s place and enjoyed by many, that is a key sign that you are successful in the industry when you have a faithful locals following. From the numerous patrons we spoke to, everyone spouted their love for this place! They raved about the delicious food, especially because you can not beat their happy hour prices along with the quality of food. If you want bar food you can get bar food, but if you want a nice more fine dining meal, well Chef Mark will make that too!

Our food arrived and was beautifully plated, as in could be a picture for a food magazine. Although I don’t think I could capture all the plating in a picture, The burgers were cooked to the correct temp as we asked, veggies were perfectly sauted without being mushy. The steamed veggies were a combination of zucchini and squash with red onions. They were steamed al dente where they still had a bite to them, which is how my wife loves her veggies. The highlight for me was the Blackened Mahi Tuna Tacos on a leaf lettuce with a side of sour cream dressed with a lime wedge. These Tacos sound like something so simple, yet the fullness of flavor in each bite will rival even the nicest sit down restaurants. Everything we ordered was delicious, gluten free as well as soy free and we ate every bite!

After we finished dinner we thanked Chef Mark for not only serving safe allergy friendly food, but his delicious gluten free food that had his special touches. After our meal we spent the evening hanging out on the other side, playing a few rounds of pool,speaking with the staff, and smack talking some locals. It was a very fun night of food and drinks that we know will remind us for years to come to stop in and visit in the future.

Overall, the evening of food, drinks and entertainment made for a successful date night. As all men know this is a goal of most men, affordable meal, happy hour, happy wife, without breaking the bank! The Sandbar is a place that welcomes all patrons, to come try out his menu. If there is something you would like special he makes it known that he is up for the task, and is up to possibly create something new. There is something to be said about someone who is not afraid to take risks and to go out of their way to share what they love. In this case it is the love of people and food that the Sandbar has, so the next time you are in OBX stop in and pay a visit to Chef Mark. You will not be disappointed, let him know Bucket List Travel sent you!

For our first night of being in the Outer Banks we knew we wanted to go somewhere that was going to fill our rumbling stomachs and start our anniversary celebration off right! We searched google for some safe gluten-free friendly restaurants and found Tale of a Whale. Having an allergy to gluten and soy my wife has to research and email, and call places to make sure the owners can accommodate her. After speaking with the owner and him assuring us he would make sure our meal was safe we knew we had to try this place out. Prior to visiting most restaurants we always reach out and talk to the managers to insure they can accommodate the allergies and to understand the cooking practices in the kitchen to avoid cross contamination. I was very fortunate to get to talk to the owner Dan Bibey. Mr. Bibey was very nice and knowledgeable about the capabilities of his kitchen. I left the conversation feeling reassured that my wife and I would have a pleasant dining experience for our 12th anniversary.

Tale of a Whale, owned by Dan and Kathy Bibey. It is conveniently located on Highway 158 S along the bay, 12 minutes from our hotel. At first glance of the gray building it does not seem like much, but it is not what is on the outside that matters it is what is on the inside that counts. Tale of a Whale does not disappoint with its beautiful decor on the inside. They have both nice wooden booths and open tables. They can also accommodate large parties. As soon as we arrived it appeared very busy, but we were seated right away. Our table was a booth along the large bay window. The view of the water and outside gazebo were beautiful and added to the already romantic atmosphere.

As we were sitting in our booth we noticed pictures and statues of whales throughout the restaurant. It was not until we opened our menu we understood why. At the beginning of the menu was the restaurants history of how it opened and the ongoing family legacy of helping protect and save the whale species.. It added something unique to the dining experience, and you could feel the love and devotion to food the family has. This would be evident in the appetizers and main courses to come.

Whales sitting upon a shelf above our table

Our servers name was, Hannah. Hannah was very friendly and made sure she understood the gluten/ soy allergies. Never once did our server appear annoyed with our questions about food preparations or ingredients. This is a big plus when going out for allergies. Many people with allergies feel they are always a problem and feel guilty for asking or feel like the restaurants make them not welcomed. Tale of a Whale takes pride in being able to accommodate individuals with allergies.

We started off with the ½ lb of of Steamed Shrimp seasoned with Old Bay, and a side of melted real butter. If you are allergic to gluten and soy don’t be shy in asking for real butter. Most of the time if you request it restaurants have it as an option so do not be shy! Now, back to the food; the appetizer was steamed perfectly and the shrimp were perfect size. My wife and I ended up splitting the last one.

For dinner my wife ordered the, “Seafood Broil” and I ordered the, “Tale of a Whale Grill.” My wife’s seafood broil came with a delicious GF Crab cake, with a filet of flounder, a boat of delicious crab meat, and steamed green beans with a baked potato . If you could have seen my wife’s face light up when she found out the GF crab cake was safe. It has been years since my wife ate a crab cake and this was worth the wait. It was delicious and the crabmeat melted in your mouth with every bite. The rest of the dish was excellent as well.

Creamy Mashed potatoes and Sauteed green beans

My Tale of a Whale Grill was just as special. The dinner initially comes with a 5oz filet mignon, skewered shrimp, topped with crab meat and topped with a cajun cream sauce. The sides were sauteed green beans and creamy mash potatoes. The great thing about this dish is you have options to upgrade for a nominal fee to a 8oz filet mignon, 12oz pork chop, or 12oz NY strip. I chose to upgrade to the 8oz filet. The filet was perfectly cooked to medium, and was oh so tender. The shrimp were cooked perfectly. The cajun cream sauce added that extra pop to the plate and left me wanting more when it was over.

Flounder with fresh crab meat, a crabcake, green beans and a baked potato all Gluten Free and Soy Free

At the end of our meal our server and Mr. Bibey himself came out to wish us a Happy anniversary and presented us with two glasses of Prosecco topped with strawberries. This made the night extra special.

Overall, our dining experience at, Tale of a Whale, will not be forgotten. It was great to find a place that was attentive to our allergies, and took great care to make sure everything was safe. These actions go along way with us and we are glad to share this experience with you. If you ever go to Kill Devil Hills, NC make sure you stop at, Tale of a Whale. It will be a dining experience you will never forget, and we will definitely return to this gem! Only 12 minutes from @towneplacesuiteskilldevilhills #outerbanks #killdevilhills #vacation #bucketlisttravelwiththeKarrfamily #bucketlist #spendlifelivingnotjustsurviving #celiacsafe #glutenfree #soyfree @ Tale of The Whale

Tag: seafood

“A Night Out at The Sandbars Raw Bar and Grill”