Shipwrecks Taphouse & Grill, the latest restaurant from local business owner Beaman Hines, officially opened Friday in Kitty Hawk.
After buying BK Shucker’s last year, Hines’ company began transforming the building at 4020 N. Croatan Highway near mile post 3.5 into a shipwreck theme, a nod to the Outer Bank’s reputation as the “Graveyard of the Atlantic.”
Hines transformed the kitchen into a new-age “prep and performance” facility capable of high volume, while local interior designer Dianne Fisher remodeled the restaurant to give it a boathouse feel.
The new restaurant’s logo features an image of the Bodie Island Lighthouse, where a concentration of the area’s shipwrecks are centered. The menu offers up a few shipwreck-themed items like USS Monitor mac n’ cheese and “Lost as Seasar” salad.
Shipwrecks joins a group of culinary businesses owned by Hines, which includes Sooey’s, Simply Southern, and Sandtrap Tavern.
Shipwrecks, which opens for lunch and dinner today, is a mid-price point restaurant featuring everything from signature entrees and steamers to burgers and steaks.
Jim Smith, head chef at Mama Kwan’s for 10 years, is Shipwreck’s new head chef. Marketing director Madalyn Roberts describes Smith’s menu as a “southern beach style twist.” There’s some Asian fusion, Jamaican jerk, steamer pots, seafood cooked four or five different ways, rockfish crab dip, duck egg rolls, pork chops and burgers – both bison and beef.