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Va Pilot Article Crabbie's Restaurant, a waterway hideawayMeet Miss Pixie, a happy hour regular on the deck overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway at Crabbie's Restaurant in Coinjock. After a bit, Sissy and Jake might lope over, too. For four-legged customers like them, the Friday night happy hour special is three to five ounces of prime rib, sliced and served in a bowl, free. Pet owners, meanwhile, sit at picnic tables and partake of free live music, buckets of beer on special and a relaxing, low-key evening out in the North Carolina countryside. Crabbie's Restaurant - and the adjacent motel and marina - are located midway between the North Carolina-Virginia border and the bridge to the Outer Banks beach resort towns. On a recent Friday night, tiki torches flickered around the edges of the deck, and FireStar, a two-man band from Kill Devil Hills, dished tunes by Johnny Cash, James Taylor and Jimmy Buffett. Motel and marina owners Terry and Sarah Miles opened the restaurant in 2002; they said their Friday night happy hours have gained a following from vacationers making their way to the Outer Banks beaches. They come with children, they come with dogs, they wait out the traffic. Out here under the stars and by the water, we found it a relaxing respite from the road.
the vibeYou'll find no business suits here, or 20-somethings looking to score. It's a laid-back spot with a crowd to match. Ages ranged from a table of elderly friends to families with children to young couples sharing a bucket of beer. Plus, there's the canine crowd, which is always welcome.
the crowdMostly locals mixed with a few travelers. The adjacent four-room motel overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway is frequently booked this time of year with Outer Banks-bound vacationers plotting to evade weekend traffic jams onto the barrier islands. (Rooms are $80 weekdays and $90 on the weekends.) In addition, boaters plying the Intracoastal Waterway dock for the night at the adjacent Midway Marina. (Dockage is $1.50 per foot for boats more than 20 feet long.)
the dressCome-as-you-are casual. Almost everyone wore shorts and flip-flops.
best thing overheard"The dogs are eating better than the band."
libationsFull bar and premium and domestic beers.
the happy hour dealFridays from 7 to 10 p.m., ice-filled buckets of six domestic beers, $16; buckets of six premium beers, $17. There's always a beer on special, too, for $2 a bottle, rather than the regular $2.75 price.
ediblesThere's always a $7.99 dinner special, and the regular dinner menu is also available on the deck and in the air-conditioned indoor dining room. Appetizers range from a basket of hush puppies ($3.29) to a pound of steamed shrimp ($15.99). Dinners range from the $7.99 specials to a Captain's Platter with two pounds of seafood ($25.99). We liked the hunky, Carolina-style barbecue with slaw and a side of fresh okra, sliced and fried ($12.99).
hoursHappy hour runs Fridays from 7 to 10 p.m. The kitchen is open until 9 p.m.; the band stops playing at 10. Regular restaurant hours are 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays, closed Mondays and Tuesdays and from Thanksgiving until April.
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