Front Porch Cafe

• 300 U.S. Highway 64
• Manteo
• (252) 473-3160

This charming, free-standing coffeehouse is located at the stoplight on the main road in Manteo, next to the Ford dealership. The Front Porch Café offers a full espresso bar with a wide variety of coffee drinks. You will find a nice offering of teas and pastries like croissants, muffins, cinnamon buns and cookies, which are baked fresh every day. This location has plenty of seating and free wireless internet access with power strips to keep your laptop humming. They roast their own coffee (at the Nags Head location) and have a wide selection of whole bean or ground coffee to take home, along with a nice assortment of coffee-related items (mugs, presses, etc.), great gifts and world music. New for this year is their wine bar, with a nice variety of wines available both by the glass or to take out. The Front Porch opens at 6 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 7 a.m. on Sunday.

His Shells by Brenda

• Magnolia Market Square, off Queen Elizabeth Street
• Manteo
• (252) 473-4000

His Shells by Brenda features elegant nautical and seaside-inspired gifts — all handmade right here on the Outer Banks by the owner. You’ll find genuine Outer Banks sea glass jewelry, elegant summer dresses, furniture, mirrors, ornaments, wreaths and picture frames, much of it artfully adorned with beautiful, natural seashells. All of Brenda’s creations are one of a kind and guaranteed to last a lifetime. While you’re browsing, check out the selection of loose shells.

Inspired by the Sea

• Phoenix Shops, between Budleigh and Ananias Dare Streets, Unit B
• Manteo
• (252) 473-9955

The furniture and decorative accessories at Inspired by the Sea are hand-crafted, hand-painted works of art. Everything is built by hand and painted in their Outer Banks studio with scenes like lighthouses, seascapes, covered bridges and rural-scapes. Each painting is an original and signed by the artist. The artwork is protected with a clear acrylic varnish. These pieces make great home accents.

Island Accent Gifts

• 207 Queen Elizabeth Street, The Waterfront Shops
• Manteo
• (252) 473-6055, (888) 266-7066

Island Accent Gifts is a fun place to shop for fine gifts, beach decor or souvenirs, many with a sea or nautical theme. Fine gifts include John Perry sea life sculptures mounted on Manzanita wood, Wyland and Kitty’s Critters. Their laser-cut crystal pieces are fascinating, and you can order personalized laser-cut crystal gifts here, a great idea for a wedding gift. You’ll also find lots of jewelry, including nautical jewelry and estate rings, and fine crafts from local and regional artisans. There’s also a kids’ corner, a seasonal corner (think Christmas decorations, fall decorations and such) and an area with less expensive gifts like sweatshirts and Ts.

Island Hair and Nail

• 500 U.S. Highway 64
• Manteo
• (252) 473-2750

This is a full-service hair salon offering cuts, color, highlights and other hair services for all ages. They also do pedicures and manicures focusing on natural nails. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are appreciated.

Island Produce

• S. U.S. Highway 64
• Manteo
• (252) 473-1303

Open in the warmer seasons only, the outdoor Island Produce sells a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, most of it seasonal, plus house plants, annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, herbs, vegetable plants and garden statuary and accessories. The staff is helpful and knowledgeable about planting and gardening. Landscaping and lawn maintenance services are available here as well.

It’s Royalty Salon, Spa and Nails

• 205 Budleigh Street
• Manteo
• (252) 473-2209

It’s Royalty is a full-service hair salon and a spa which specializes in nails, makeup and facials. There’s also a nice gift shop here selling purses, belts, accessories, artwork and other small gift items.

John Silver Gallery

• 105-A Fernando Street
• Manteo
• (252) 475-9764

John Silver Gallery is an intimate and inviting place to celebrate color and the beauty of the world as it is seen through the eyes of eight different American painters. The artists, including Roanoke Island resident John Silver, are plein air and studio painters working in oils, acrylics or watercolors. The owners and experienced staff are happy to assist you with a selection, and they are glad to share with you their love of painting and the artists they exhibit.

Kellogg Supply Co.

• 917 Burnside Road
• Manteo
• (252) 473-2167

Whether you’re a handyman or a serious builder, Kellogg Supply offers all the lumber and building supplies you could need. The store also sells hardware and electrical and plumbing supplies. For decorating a home, Kellogg’s interior design center (there’s another location for this too in Nags Head) can help you select carpet, paint, tile, cabinets and other features. Kellogg’s is open Monday through Saturday.

Kitty Hawk Kites

• 307 Queen Elizabeth Street
• Manteo
• (252) 473-2357

Kitty Hawk Kites sells all kinds of garments and gear for adventurous types — sunglasses, hats, clothing by Columbia and “Life is Good.” You’ll also find lots of Outer Banks T-shirts and sweatshirts. They have children’s clothes, sandals, kites, windsocks, flags, toys and tons of pirate stuff. You can pick up vacation necessities here like sun block, bug spray, batteries, film and disposable cameras. You’ll need a camera if you decide to take part in the recreational opportunities available on the island, like dolphin tours and parasailing. See Recreation.

Lynn Atkins Custom Framing

• 105-B Budleigh Street
• Manteo
• (252) 473-9993

Lynn Atkins’ specialty is high-end conservation and preservation framing, but she can do anything – and she does it with absolute perfection. In the business for more than 30 years, Lynn is an expert at her craft.

Manteo Furniture Company

• 209 Sir Walter Raleigh Street
• Manteo
• (252) 473-2131

If you’re looking for big-ticket home items, like furniture and appliances, head to Manteo Furniture for a large selection. Specially trained staff can help you select the right items for your home or beach cottage, and they deliver from Corolla to Ocracoke. They even offer free removal of old items when you have something new delivered. Beds, lamps and accessories are also available. Manteo Furniture Company has a service department for GE appliances. They also now offer the OBX Sleep Center with the Kingsdown, Therapedic and Sleep to Live brands.

Mellow Dog Gallery & Gifts

• 104-A Sir Walter Raleigh Street
• Manteo
• (252) 473-4777

Stop in and meet Jake, the mellowest dog in Manteo, and do a little shopping while you’re there. This colorful gallery features local artwork, including photography, visual art and jewelry, plus candles, pretty hair bows for girls and so much more. If you know Outer Banks art, you might recognize some of the names here: KC Folds (the owner of Mellow Dog), Stephanie Kiker, Scott Geib, Emily Terrell, Wilton Wescott and Victoria Lowe, whose textiles are world famous. This is a great place to find a gift, and they’ve got something for every budget.

My Secret Garden

• 101 Sir Walter Raleigh Street
• Manteo
• (252) 473-6880

Next to Manteo Booksellers, My Secret Garden is a longtime gift shop in Manteo. It features a variety of gift items and home accessories including garden accents, birdhouses, cards, gifts for the pet lover, many, many decorative signs, wine accessories, collegiate items, unique jewelry, candles, pirate and mermaid toys and gifts, and a wonderful baby department with cute and reasonably priced items. You’ll find something to enjoy life with.

Nature’s Harmony

• 8353 Shipyard Road, across the bridge from Roanoke Island toward the west
• Manteo
• (252) 473-3556

Located in Manns Harbor on the Dare County mainland, Nature’s Harmony is one of the locals’ go-to places for all their gardening needs. You’ll find healthy plants here, including herbs, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and more. They also sell soil and decorative items, and they give great advice. Some feel their warm-weather weekends just aren’t complete without a visit to this peaceful oasis.

O’Neal’s Sea Harvest

• 618 Harbor Road
• Wanchese
• (252) 473-4535

The O’Neal family is known on the Outer Banks for its commitment to harvesting and selling fresh seafood straight out of the sea. Their seafood market, O’Neal’s Sea Harvest in Wanchese, is a trusted source for fish, crab meat and crabs, shrimp, scallops, oysters and clams. This is an open-air fish market where you can see the guys at work cleaning and processing seafood. You can select a whole fish and they’ll clean it for you right there. Head down to O’Neal’s to pick up steamed crabs by the bushel or shrimp by the pound or to pick up a cooler full of seafood to take back home (they’ll ice it down for you at no charge.)

New this year O’Neal’s Sea Harvest is opening a lunch restaurant where you can enjoy all these seafood delicacies expertly prepared right on site (see Restaurants). O’Neals is located in the setting of Wanchese Seafood Industrial Park and Wanchese Harbor. To get there, head down N.C. 345 at the big intersection on Roanoke Island. Stay on 345 (do not bear right at the church) and turn left on Harbor Road.

Outdoors Outfitters

• 312 U.S. Highway 64
• Manteo
• (252) 473-1356

Outdoors Outfitters is a true outfitter specializing in kayak tours for children and adults. They’re located in downtown Manteo but offer activities all over the Outer Banks. Ask about their children’s activity tours, naturalist-led eco-tours, biolumenescence or full moon tours, sunrise or sunset tours or Your Family Only! tours. For rentals, they offer delivery to anywhere on Roanoke Island, Nags Head, Pea Island or Alligator River, or you can take the kayak on your vehicle. Don’t want to bring all your camping gear but want to camp? The Outdoors Outfitters rents and sells tents, bags, pads, cooking stoves and other camping gear. Also operating out of this storefront is Nags Head Diving (see separate listing) for scuba diving lessons and tours, as well as dive charters, spear-fishing charters and sportfishing charters. The Outdoors Outfitters store sells and rents scuba gear and spearfishing equipment. They also rent bikes for adults and kids (they also have carriers for infants and little tikes) and offer bike tours of the island.

Outer Banks Hotline Thrift Shop

• 602 N. U.S. Highway 64
• Manteo
• (252) 473-3127

Outer Banks Hotline is the local women’s shelter and crisis intervention center, and the Thrift Shop is one of the ways it raises money. The Manteo location (there are several throughout the region) is in a large building near the Elizabethan Inn. If you love hunting through thrift stores, you’ll go crazy for this one. You’ll find clothes, furniture, books, records, housewares and a lot more.

Outer Banks Quilts and Antiques

• 108 Sir Walter Raleigh Street
• Manteo
• (252) 473-4183

This shop carries fabrics and quilting supplies. If you don’t have the time or the patience to make a quilt of your own, there are many beautiful, already-made quilts here too. This is also an antiques store, with the goods of more than 12 dealers, so there’s quite an assortment to choose from. The variety includes lots of furniture, home décor items and more collectibles than you could imagine.

Piggly Wiggly

• 118 S. U.S. Highway 64/264
• Manteo

Piggly Wiggly is a Southern grocery store chain. They sell most major grocery items like produce, meats, cereal, snacks, dairy, bread, toiletries and cleaning supplies, but don’t expect to find anything exotic here.

Pirate’s Cove Marina Ship’s Store

• Pirate’s Cove Marina, Nags Head-Manteo Causeway
• Manteo
• (252) 473-3906

Geared to the sport-fishing community, The Ship’s Store at Pirate’s Cove Marina offers high-end clothing and accessories for men, women and children, plus fishing T-shirts galore. There are also polarized sunglasses by Maui Jim and Costa del Mar, marine and tackle items for the angler and gift items such as wine glasses, Tervis tumblers, jewelry, toys, books and handmade pottery. In the same space, you can book a fishing charter or pick up supplies for your fishing adventures, such as beer, wine, sodas, general grocery items, snacks and candy.

Roanoke Heritage Art Galleries & Military Museum

• 543 Ananias Dare Street Ext.
• Manteo
• (252) 473-2632

This little shop is behind the home of the owner on Ananias Dare Street across the main highway from the downtown area. Herbert Bliven runs a frame shop, offering custom framing and a variety of original artwork, photographs and limited edition prints, all complemented by his handcrafted wooden frames. A small museum on-site houses Civil War artifacts found on Roanoke Island. You’ll also see World War I and II, Native American and Korean War memorabilia as well as antique hunting decoys.

Roanoke Heritage Extended

• 109 Sir Walter Raleigh Street
• Manteo
• (252) 475-1442

This shop has a distinctly nautical feel and a respect for the seafaring heritage of Roanoke Island. The store owner, Jeremy Bliven, is the author of three local favorite children’s books about Stumpy the Pirate Cat. His store also features framed artwork by his father, local artist Herbert Bliven. You’ll find seashells, fossilized shark’s teeth and nautical gifts. Check out the driftwood room where you can create your own driftwood sculpture.

Roanoke Marshes Trading Co.

• The Waterfront Shops
• Manteo
• (252) 473-3377

Roanoke Marshes Trading Company is the place on Roanoke Island to find souvenir sweatshirts and T-shirts printed with OBX, Roanoke Island, pirate themes or funny sayings for men, women and children. They’ve got a collection of cute summery dresses, along with other beach wear and accessories. Jewelry, including the popular Da Vinci Bead line, colorful tin decor, beachy signs, tons of gifts, home decor, shells, hand-painted glassware, nautical items, toys, nuts, fugde — there’s a lot to look at here. We bet you won’t go home empty handed.

Something Special

• Phoenix Shops, 107-A Budleigh Street, next to the Pioneer Theater
• Manteo
• (252) 475-1594

Something Special lives up to its name by offering distinctive treasures from all over the world. The shop offers unique, hard-to-find gift items for all ages, real sterling silver jewelry and watches, plus fun accessories for men and women.