Opened in 1959 and newly renovated in 2014, the family-friendly Oceanana Pier and Pier House Restaurant is located on the Crystal Coast of our hometown of Atlantic Beach, North Carolina. Located at 700 E Fort Macon Road, this fishing pier and eatery is just a four-minute drive once you cross over the Atlantic Beach Bridge and stays open year-round. The pier, stretching around a thousand feet into the ocean and featuring some of the best views of the coast, is the only pier in town, making it a must-visit destination.
Referred to by locals as the “Family Playground of the South”, the pier, originally one of the few businesses on the island, was very popular, and brought much additional growth to our small coastal town. Oceanana was open by a man named A.B. Cooper, and is still run by the Cooper family to this day.
The Pier House Restaurant, open at 6am to late in the day, serves wonderful breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Their breakfast menu, served until 11am, features items such as bacon, eggs, hotcakes, grits and many more popular southern breakfast classics, a breakfast so good it even won the Coastal Readers’ Award for the Best Breakfast on the Crystal Coast in 2010. Lunch and dinner consist of seafood staples as well as burgers, sandwiches, soups and salads.
The pier itself attracts fishers from all over, featuring catches of world-class demand in all seasons. During the summer, expect catches like spots, croakers, and mackerels, while in the fall, you can look for black and red drum.
The pier isn’t just for the anglers, however. Benches line the boardwalk, and the views at sunset are indescribable. There’s even a lifted shaded gazebo at the end of the pier, housing unmatchable views of our beautiful coast.
At the on-site pier house, visitors can rent rods and reels, as well as purchase fresh bait, lures, and rigs, a one stop shop for your fishing endeavors. The pier house even features a small arcade, snacks, drinks, and souvenirs.
A true staple and local land mark of the small beach town of Atlantic Beach, the Oceanana Pier and Pier House Restaurant, Oceanana is budget-friendly – you’ll want to come back to again and again, whether it’s for the fishing, the great food, or the unforgettable ocean views.
For information about pier events, check out Oceanana’s Facebook Page . For a look at their menus and more information about the pier on their website .
(Images provided by oceananapier.com)