Quick bites

Gus Zinovis and his wife, Shannon Moody, made big changes to Mulligan's when they moved the restaurant south.

Mulligan’s

Milepost 13, U.S. 158, Nags Head
(252) 480-2000
www.mulligansobx.com

To date, our Quick Bites have featured dining spots from Kill Devil Hills and Kitty Hawk. We now turn our compass to the south and will begin a sweep through Nags Head.

Our first stop is Mulligan’s. In January 1996, Gus Zinovis opened his doors along the Beach Road in Nags Head, one of the few restaurants on the east side of our oceanfront thoroughfare — a spot now occupied by the Beach Road Grill. A Greek guy running an Irish-themed pub often decked out in tropical shirt. What could be more Outer Banks?

For readers familiar with the Hampton Roads restaurant scene in the mid-1970’s, you might remember the Milton’s Pizza chain, especially if you attended Old Dominion University. Milton’s was one of Gus’ early endeavors, along with several other partners, and it operated from 1975-1980.

The Beach Road Mulligan’s was a classic Outer Banks bar/restaurant. By day it offered up a menu chock full of burgers, sub sandwiches and local fish/seafood — fried, grilled, broiled. The bar, which ran most of the length of the restaurant, was a local’s gathering spot, especially in the off-season. Back when the construction industry was in its heyday, it wasn’t unusual to find the bar filled with trades people stopping by for a cold beer after a hot day working on homes.

Five summers ago, in 2006, Mulligan’s took on a major expansion when Zinovis purchased the building formerly occupied by Bad Barracuda’s restaurant along the “bypass” in Nags Head. The new location was easily four times the size of the former Mulligan’s — a lot of seats to fill.

Zinovis and his wife, Shannon Moody — began the business of transforming Mulligan’s from a beach bar to a full-service restaurant. The new location is a two-story buildng and features three indoor dining rooms, two indoor bars and an outside deck on the upper floor opened to the public last spring.

The deck offers full food and drink service, essentially creating a fourth dining area when weather permits, with ocean views to the east and Jockey’s Ridge in front of you to the west. It is among one the best dining views in the area, and the outdoor theme complements the beach atmosphere perfectly.

Downstairs, the two dining rooms and the bar are modeled after a traditional Irish pub. With a nod to the Baby Boomer generation, one feature of Mulligan’s is that every table is stocked with reading glasses. And you’ll need ‘em — the menu is expansive to say the least.

Upstairs the décor is more contemporary and beach-like, with a long modern bar and copious amounts of natural lighting from the many windows.

Moody has designed the menu with a decidedly local bent. As much as possible, seafood is bought daily from local sources. She maintains her own herb garden and sources most of her vegetables and starches from local farms — beans, corn, potatoes and onions. As a result, entrees and sides change based on seasonal availability. Moody also touts Mulligan’s green credentials — they don’t use Styrofoam of any kind. “We recycle everything!” Moody exclaimed with obvious pride.

There are two distinct Mulligan’s personalities. By day, the menu is reminiscent of the old venue — a huge variety of burgers, pizza, subs and lunch-sized portions of fish, seafood and more traditional items The burgers, by the way, have been voted “Best of the Beach” for several years running. At night, the pizza, sandwiches and subs are still available, although the selection is narrowed from the lunch offerings. If you haven’t been to Mulligan’s since the move to the new location, then the evening entrée menu will be sure to surprise.

The couple describes describe the motif as “local fare geared toward a coastal casual atmosphere”. But there’s sophistication also — blackened shrimp over cheese grits with Andouille and fresh okra. Soft shell crabs, “double-cleaned” as Gus describes them with grilled asparagus — were an excellent example of local fare. My buddy ordered a classic pizza — tasty toppings and the right amount of spices. Moody’s favorite is the seared ahi tuna while Zinovis was unable to choose between the shrimp and grits and the broiled seafood platter.

During the summer there is acoustic music on the deck until 10 p.m. In the winter, entertainment switches to weekends-only and moves inside.

Entrees are priced from $8 to $28 — offering the budget-conscious diner and those seeking some adventure in fine dining a single-option dining resource. Throw in pleasing acoustic folk-rock and the pleasures of the outdoor deck’s spectacular views, and “coastal casual” can be experienced in the literal sense. And yes, vegetarian and kids menu selections are also available.

See previous quick bites »

GO TO HOME PAGE »