We enjoyed a variety of different items from the menu at this fun place! The dining room is tight quarters but not overly noisy like some small locations! We enjoyed the steak sandwich, blackened tuna tacos and burger. The steak sandwich was perfect! The tacos were on point with seasoning and a plate of fixings! The burger not so much, a bit over done but just ok. We will for sure come back!
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Update June 12, 2019 - Mama Kwans is still a must visit. Our favorite dive in OBX. We went today and had the spicy honey chicken tender appetizer for $8.99. It was simply frozen breaded chicken strips with some sauce on top and sitting on top of a dried out bed of wilted lettuce. Won't get that again! However, the pork plate is still the best and a pretty large serving. They don't serve coca cola products anymore (same in most parts of OBX) and the tea is still unsweet...really surprising! Food is average but the ambiance and service give it a bump up, for sure. Oh, and the cute souvenir cups for the kids and at the bar are kind of fun.
July 22, 2017 - We stopped for lunch and there was a 25 minute wait so we sat at the bar. It's not a big bar but, Kelly the bartender was very busy, while still being very attentive! We ordered the burger and the pork plate with a coke and iced tea. Cons: the coke was very watered down, the pork tasted like it came out of a crock pot, and they don't offer sweet tea...even though we are in the South :( Pros: the staff was friendly, there are a few outdoor tables, ample parking, lots of TVs around the bar, the burger was good (although we weren't asked how we wanted it cooked), they offer takeout, and have very cute kiddie drinks! We would return, maybe to try something else on the menu.
Don't drive by!!!! Can not say enough good things about this place. Extremely good food. Grab the pork wontons or the cheese sticks for an app. Then get the fish tacos with blackened mahi. If you don't like fish, get the pork platter. CAN NOT beat this food at this price point.
This is s must stop for my boyfriend and I every year we come to the outer banks. Mamas wings in the honey jerk are delicious, and so are the money bags. We ALWAYS get the blackened fish tacos, so good. And my boyfriend tried the crab cake sandwich, which he said was really good. We haven't had a bad experience here yet, and we've been many many times.
Very busy for the Memorial Day weekend, but we LOVED it! We had the choice of waiting for a table or sitting at the bar, so we took the bar. The servers were extremely friendly and worked with my gluten intolerance. They made me fresh corn tortilla chips to go with my fish taco filling (get the fish tacos!) and everything was excellent! Laid back atmosphere, colorful walls, sky light, and upbeat music made for a great experience with my food. Will definitely be back!
We were skeptical due to the outward appearance of this restaurant but I was very pleased we decided to have dinner here. We tried the shrimp wonton egg rolls and I personally thought they were great. My boyfriend had the fish tacos and said they were great. I had the grilled sesame chicken and it was really good as well. Not too bad overall for the two of us, we spent about $50. We'd go back again, definitely. Our waitress was a nice, petit, brunette female and she was very friendly without being overbearing. 5/5 in my opinion!
Mama's Hawaiian Pork Plate. My go-to dish here. Every bite is absolutely delicious including the rice and Asian cucumber salad. I have attempted to get the recipe for this several times, but they aren't spilling.
Two words: no joke Fish t.... Two words: no joke
Fish tacos are amazing, actually every thing is awsome. Have not had a bad meal yet
It's the perfect veggie burger...well seasoned and doesn't fall apart in the first bite.
Always Good, Never Bad [Ever]. I am a new local [circa 2011] and I have eaten here often. I have *never* had a bad meal at Mama Kwan's. Never.
Consistently good. Small menu. EVERYTHING IS GOOD. Exemplary service. Kwan welcomed us and seated us. Our server was amazing.
This *is* a resort area, during the summer months, there will be a wait; but don't bitch about it as that's the same as every eatery on the Outer Banks. I love Mama Kwan's. I will eat here until they close the doors.
That is all.
What a great place! Heard all about it but I finally ate there and was not disappointed!
Cydney Davis-english
+4.5
Yum! Always a treat to eat here. Fun drinks, super food and wonderful service. Tuna nachos and pork plate are faves
So good! Best meal we had in OBX. I had the garbage plate with tuna and husband had the fish tacos. Both were amazing!
This is a must visit restaurant when I come to the OBX. Fish tacos, beer, great service, and chill atmosphere makes it one of my favorites.
Delicious. Great cucumber salad, we had fish tacos and pork wanting, both great!
This is my favorite place to eat at the beach. I was local for 4 years, and Mama Kwans was where I went to hang out and eat great food. The mahi fish tacos are awesome! Very clever asain american fusion food.
Yummy dinner choice. Fish tacos were a hit followed a close second by the tuna nachos. Jerk chicken tacos also very tasty. Great deal on beer but the highlight was the Parrot Brain Freeze (advertised as large enough for two but I don't share well) in a fun parrot glass that goes home with you. Would definitely recommend for singles or families.
Craving Mama Kwan's!. I've only had two meals from Mama Kwan's...I need to go back asap! The first was a girls night out and we got appetizers, all of which were delicious, but the thai money bags stick out in my mind...they were sooo good!
A few weeks ago I was with a group that ordered take out and I got the fish tacos. I have seriously been craving them since I ate them! So delicious! Grilled fish with cheese, scallions, cabbage and a yummy dressing. Try them, you won't be disappointed!
Come for lunch. The food is just as good, but the prices are cheaper. One of my favorite places to eat down here. Go for the tuna pad thai or fish tacos.
A Favorite!. I love going to Mama Kwan's when I am in town. Such a fun place to eat. Try the 'Garbage Plate'. Great Cocktails!
We'll definitely come back here again next time! We had the fried pork wontons appetizer & we all liked it. My sister & brother-in-law had the pork platter & lovedit. My boyfriend had the Big Daddy Tuna platter. The tuna was prepared perfectly. The wasabi aioli was pretty hot, but he likes that flavor profile. I had the blackened Fish Tacos& they are as good as everyone says, if not more so!
Yum. Literally everything was good on this menu. Compelled to come back during my one week stay for more. The fish tacos are out of this world, made with fresh mahi mahi. Try the Amba burger for all you veggi people. Everything looked amazing and tasted great too. (don't forget to ask about their specials!)
A fun creative tasty place . Kind of Hawaiian Asian meets outer banks. All in our group ordered something different and we were all pleased. It's not a fancy place, it fills up fast, you get fun drink glasses to take home. Go early or wait
Omg!!! You have to try the blackened fish tacos... So freakin' good. The pad Thai is also really good. Great atmosphere. The only bad thing is that there is always a wait, but it is well worth it!'mm
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One of My Favorites - ANYWHERE. A few years ago, my mom and I were driving into the OBX very late at night. We were starving and we wandered into Mama Kwan's with no idea what to expect. I had seen it there many times, but figured it was just a bar. No. Little did I know, that that night, an obsession was born. Now, I'm in the OBX for two weeks every year, and we eat there at least six times in that span. My husband and I talk about it wistfully in the middle of the bitter Pittsburgh winter. I make futile attempts to copy their dishes in my own kitchen. (Special Occasion Pasta, I'm coming for ya'!) My poor mother orders fish tacos everywhere she goes, and invariably sighs, "Well, it's not like Mama Kwan's."
So, I guess you could say I (my whole family) kinda like it there. The atmosphere is fun and clean. The food is honest and fresh and very inexpensive. The lunch prices are a steal. I'll see you six times in August, Mama Kwan, and I'll be ordering the Garbage Plate with blackened tuna, and both pasta dishes. And you WILL tell me how to make that teriyaki dipping sauce.
One of if not THE best restaurants on the beach. You cannot go wrong with the pork plate or the fish tacos!!
Vegetarian friendly. The menu is mostly "pacific rim", but there are a couple good items for vegetarians. I had the veg burger and replaced the fries with stir-fried veggies - a great suggestion from my wait person who happened to be vegetarian. Good meal. Also, there is a pasta plate and the "Garbage Plate" which are vegetarian. Vegetarians beware the Pad Thai as it contains fish sauce. Staff was very pleasant. There is also a bar with a TV showing sports, so it was a little noisy in the facility, but tolerable.
Came down from Michigan with a taste for a good fish taco. I was not disapointed. The tv's where a little loud for the time of day and amount of people there, but the food is worth it.
Good food---very different. Most items are spicy, which I like but my wife does not. The scallop appetizer was awesome. I go back again.
Decent. The Pad Thai was good and the specialty pasta was on the salty side. But other than that it was a very good.
One of our favorite places while in the outer banks. Fish Tacos are great!! My other favorite is the chicken sandwich with teriyaki glaze and pineapple. Best ranch and FFs too!! Like always, we will be back!
The garbage plate was great!! Very fresh and light meal. Just what we needed. You can also get drinks in cute souvenir cups!
My family experienced Mama Kwan's this past week while on vacation. We got burned at the first restaurant we went to based on good reviews, so we were worried this would be similar. However, we were so happy with Mama Kwan's! The atmosphere is super cute, colorful, clean, and fun. We had the fried green beans for an app and they were perfect. I could have eaten a million of them. I ordered the pork plate and mango marg and was 100% satisfied. Great portions - not too big not to small. If I ever go back to the OBX I will be stopping here again. Rest of fam enjoyed their food as well.
Small but interesting restaurant. Every time I go there is about a 1 hour wait. Lots of seafood options. Overall I was pleased.
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Dined here for lunch today as a pet friendly option with my dog. The staff was fantastic and friendly, we were seated outside rather quickly and the blackened fish tacos, chips & guacamole were delicious.
My only complaint was the additional customers today who felt entitled to use my dining table as their personal shaded waiting area. These were not the first ones either- the first couple at least asked if I minded them sitting with me and waiting for their table (the husband had the good sense to agree that it was "weird" to ask that/sit with someone who was eating.)
But this group of 10 felt entitled to just sit themselves down along 2 benches of my table with their backs turned, in the middle of my dining experience and completely ignoreing the sign on the table "for dining" and the fact that someone was attempting to have lunch... not until a more mature gentleman from their party was offered a "seat" did he joke "I'm just going to ask to join her for lunch" to which I responded, "well y'all have been here my entire lunch already...."
I would have loved to have some backup from the waitstaff or hostess, though, and had them ask the guests to move.
Mike M (RideLocalDreamGlobal)
+5
Loud and cramped, but the food makes it all worthwhile! A regular stop when we visit the Outer Banks NC. The fish tacos are incredible, have never had a less than stellar meal over many visits through the years. Always crowded, worth the wait!
I always make it a point to stop here anytime I visit. It's consistently been some of the best food on the beach since I was a kid in high school here. I love the tiki drinks with the souvenir cups and if you get the fish tacos, always get them blackened.
A friend suggested this to us and put it at the top of his “must-go” food places when his family visits the Outer Banks. Did not disappoint. Service was great, staff friendly and efficient. Food was simple, delicious, and priced well. Menu selection was nice - plenty to choose from but not overwhelming. Waited around 30-40 minutes for a table, but nice outdoor seating while we waited was fine and easy. Could tell it’s a well liked place. Indoor and outdoor seating available. Low key and casual. Kids specialty drink menu was unique and fun. Great spot and would highly recommend visiting Mama Kwan’s for their world famous fish tacos. Will come back!
Incredibly tasty dishes! A nice twist on the OBX classics. The crabcake dinner was perfect, but I wish I had ordered the fish tacos that my girlfriend ordered---they were even better! The restaurant is small, loud, and popular so take that into account. Hopefully they'll move to a bigger location one day. Prices were also surprisingly lower than I thought.
Great food and atmosphere.
We love the Tuna Nachos, Garbage Plate, and Mahi Tacos.
The servers are friendly and check-in often.
This has been one of my favorites since they opened!
My daughter and I went here for Dinner on my bday Aug 19 2023. Great food, great service and atmosphere . Will definitely come here again next time we visit the Outer banks .
This was the best meal to round out our trip. I could live off of Mama's Hawaiian Pork Plate. It was beyond delicious and I can't recommend it enough. The tiki bar space is cozy without being claustrophobic. The service was excellent. The drinks were great. We'll definitely be back.
Really sweet and tasty drinks and nice atmosphere. The service was lovely. Only about a 20 minute wait for a table for two. I had and love the Tiki Trauma. Food was very yummy and filling. The jerk chicken tacos could’ve been a little more jerk, but they tasted great nonetheless. Would definitely eat here again.
My friends and I stopped here on the way to our vacation rental and we're absolutely delighted with it. We all got their blackened fish tacos and they were delicious! Seriously, I know we're in the Outer Banks but the fish was tender and juicy and exactly what we needed for a light but filling meal after the drink. I got a Tiki Trauma drink that came with a tiki mug as a souvenir, it was a little sweet but not overly so and was very good!
Super cute tiki joint. We didn’t eat but the food smelled good. Drinks were great and beachy. Make sure you get a souvenir parrot.
You must try the Pork Wontons appetizer, they were AMAZING and the famous fish tacos and Hawaiian Pork plate were so good!! Wish I'd stayed longer so I could eat here again.
What's not to love about the family business?! Just kidding! Mama Kwan's is very busy and we went as the holiday weekend started so really busy. We waited about an hour for a table outdoors which is great that they have dedicated an area for those who still want to eat outdoors. Inside dining as well with some of the staff still wearing masks. They were not doing takeout since the kitchen was so busy. Service is very fast and friendly. Kitchen also is very efficient and food came out quickly. Fun tiki drinks with fun souvenir cups. The Dark & Stormy was good as was the Lime in the Coconut. The tuna nachos were very tasty and loaded with pepper seared ahi tuna. The coconut shrimp with deep fried green beans were also delicious as was the Garbage plate with seared tuna. Lots of parking on both sides and easy to find. Definitely recommend!
The food was so good we had to the second day as well! Hamburgers were delicious! So was the chicken sandwich. And the fries were seasoned just right! Highly recommend. WIll be going back on our next visit!
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