Full disclosure: I love an inn. The hominess factor alone makes me feel warm and fuzzy when I travel. An inn is the antithesis of a sterile hotel room dressed in white. It has color, character, and a welcoming aesthetic that feels like open arms and grandma’s cookies. With anticipation, I awaited my stay at the much lauded Inn on Pamlico Sound.
What to Expect at the Inn on Pamlico Sound
As I approached Inn on Pamlico Sound on Hatteras Island, I audibly sighed. Even the outdoor appearance evokes all the feelings, and as I followed the quaint signs to my parking space, I took it all in. A sunny yellow exterior, crisp white trim, and sloping roofs give way to sweeping views of the sound. Fertile, overflowing gardens surround the meandering property and provide splashes of reds, oranges, and pinks among the green. A front porch beckons and leads to a small lobby.
The quaintness really takes hold here. Ring the bell and someone scurries in to welcome you, invites you to join breakfast in the attached restaurant (more on that later), and points out an old-school black telephone you can use in case of emergency. Then you enter a sitting room where cookies rest on tiered plates and a screened porch gives you your first full look at the water just steps away from your room.
My room was in the main building up a set of wooden stairs and down a narrow hallway (remember, this is a home, not a hotel). I noted a refrigerator where you can store restaurant leftovers and wine, and where bottles of water are available for the taking. Aside it was a table for morning coffee, which arrived promptly at 7:00 am, steaming hot. Being able to walk just outside my room and retrieve it each groggy morning was a godsend, a touch that other establishments would do well to adopt.
Each room at Inn on Pamlico Sound is unique, cozy, and comfortable. Dressed in cottage chic, your room might be filled with antiques or upscale rustic décor. You may have a waterfront view or a deck with a high-top table and chairs or colorful rocking chairs where you can take in the garden. Regardless of the specifics, the inn oozes charm and you’ll want for nothing.
Why You Must Eat at Café Pamlico
I traveled with a friend, and we both love a good meal and great cocktails; in fact, we actively seek both out. When our vacation up and down the Outer Banks ended, guess which meal we recalled as the best of the trip? It was dinner here at the inn at the adjacent Café Pamlico.
The restaurant is connected to the main inn, separated only by a walk along the screened porch or, if you’re staying in the inn’s second building, along a flower-strewn path. You’ll have a choice of indoor or outdoor dining, both offering stunning water views. Anchoring the layout is the intimate bar – with just a few stools and a friendly bartender, it’s ideal for chatting up your neighbors, asking what they’re drinking, and taking recommendations. It’s also the perfect place to perch pre-dinner, snap some photos of beautifully garnished drinks, and sip hand-crafted cocktails.
The inn features live music – on our evening, a talented soft acoustic artist who inspired spontaneous singalongs now and again. We sat outside (the inn thoughtfully provides a basket of bug spray at the entrance) under a roof where greenery and soft bamboo globes set the tone for an upscale casual dinner. The atmosphere was lively and convivial, the service was spot-on, and the food was downright delectable. I highly recommend the filet with a side of broccolini and mushrooms – it was heaven on a plate.
The restaurant also serves a delicious breakfast each morning and holds special events, like the Tequila Dinner taking place the night I arrived. These events are highly popular, so check the calendar before your visit and make reservations in advance.
The Best Place to Stay in Hatteras
Location is everything, and the Inn on Pamlico Sound is centrally located to all that you’ll want to do in Hatteras.
Don’t miss breakfast at the Orange Blossom Bakery & Café, legendary for their apple ugglies, dense fritters that take two hands to hold and leave you drooling. I loved it as much for the people watching as the eating – locals and visitors intermingle, lining up for the sweet treats, saying howdy, and stuffing takeout boxes in their trucks. Some settle in on the long porch, sip coffee, and eat fried pies. It’s downright neighborly.
Wander into the cutest bookstore ever, Buxton Village Books, a country cottage chockful of bestsellers and books by local authors. You’ll see avid readers pouring over titles; children sitting cross-legged on the rug, turning colorful pages; and visitors buying local, their purchase riding in a tote that will follow them to the beach.
If you head south, you can visit the newly renovated Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, which showcases maritime history and shipwrecks of the Outer Banks. It re-opened in May 2024 with state-of-the-art touchscreens, hands-on exhibits, and even holograms that put you up close and personal with historic figures.
And of course you’re right in the middle of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, a blessedly untouched, undeveloped stretch of nature dotted with lighthouses and water birds. The famously photographed Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is currently undergoing a facelift, but you can still visit the gift shop for fantastic souvenirs of your visit.
