The Lifesaving Station - Sanderling Resort

Name: The Lifesaving Station - Sanderling Resort
Address: 1461 Duck Rd, Duck, NC, United States, 27949
Telephone: (252) 449-6654
Price range: $30 and under
Rating: 4.1

4.1 (814)

$30 and under

American

1461 Duck Rd, Duck, NC 27949

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 20, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 32 times today

About this restaurant

Charming
Great for outdoor dining
Good for special occasions

Located in the original Caffey’s Inlet Life Saving Station No. 5, the Lifesaving Station is Sanderling’s casual, three-meal-a-day restaurant celebrating southern coastal cuisine. Our second level offers sweeping views of the Currituck Sound and is available for small and large parties with an expansive kid’s menu.

The Lifesaving Station maintains an impressive wine list. At the newly renovated No 5 Bar now located on the first level, local North Carolina breweries are featured on tap.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
American, Contemporary Southern, Comfort Food
Hours of operation
Breakfast Daily 7:00 am–11:30 am Lunch Daily 12:00 pm–4:30 pm Dinner Daily 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Phone number
(252) 449-6654
Website
http://www.sanderling-resort.com/restaurants-and-bars/life-saving-station
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Private party facilities
We offer private event space for up to 24 guests. Please contact info@sanderling-resort.com for more info!

Location
1461 Duck Rd, Duck, NC 27949
Neighborhood
Duck
Parking details
None
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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Our AI assistant, Concierge, is here to answer your questions about this restaurant.

Coastal Crab Dip$18.00
Lump Crab | Three Cheese Blend | Naan Bread
Burrata and Prosciutto$18.00
Crostini | Fig Jam | Cracked Black Pepper | Arugula
Crab Hush Puppies$17.00
Lump Crab | Green Onion | Old Bay | Cheddar | Hot Honey Drizzle
Olive Dip$16.00
Domestic and Imported Olives | Cream Cheese | Red Pepper | Pita Chips
Spicy Edamame$16.00
Hoisin Garlic Glaze | Sesame seeds
BB Chips$18.00
Fresh Kettle Chips | BBQ Pulle Pork | Blue Cheese Cream | Blue Cheese Crumbles | House BBQ Sauce | Tomatoes | Scallions

Soups & Salads

Add-Ons: Grilled Chicken $9 | Tuna $18 | Shrimp $13 | Crab Cake $18

Caprese Salad$9.00
Vine Ripe Tomatoes | Fresh Mozzarella | Extra Virgin Olive Oil | Balsamic Drizzle | Fresh Basil | Cracked Black Pepper & Sea Salt
Caesar Salad$10.00
Parmesan | Garlic Croutons | Fried Capers | Anchovies
Wedge Salad$17.00
Baby Iceberg Lettuce | Cherrywood Smoked Bacon | Lardon | Heirloom Tomato | Blue Cheese Dressing
Soup du Jour$9.00
Mixed Greens$15.00
Cherry Tomatoes | English Cucumber | Julienne Red Onion | Carrot Ribbons | Lemon Vinaigrette

Handhelds

Served with French Fries or Fresh Fruit | Sweet Potato Fries +$2. Gluten Free Bread Available Upon Request

Fried Chicken Sandwich$18.00
Gruyère Cheese | Pickle Chips | Lettuce | Tomato | Brioche Bun | Honey Sriracha Mayo
Local Fresh Catch Sandwich$19.00
Griddled or Fried | House Tartar Sauce | Lettuce | Tomato | Buttered Brioche Roll
Prime Rib French Dip$24.00
Slow-Roasted Shaved Prime Rib | Griddled & Topped with Gouda | Shaved Onion | Horseradish Spread | Hoagie Roll | Au Jus
Sanderling Sandwich$17.00
Griddled Roast Turkey | Spinach | Tomato | Bacon | Gouda | Basil Pesto | Wheatberry Bread
Chicken Caesar Wrap$18.00
Grilled Chicken Breast | Romaine Lettuce | Caesar Dressing | Parmesan Cheese
Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwich $18.00
Gouda Cheese | BBQ Sauce | Pineapple Coleslaw | Buttered Brioche Roll

Burgers

Served with French Fries or Fresh Fruit | Sweet Potato Fries +$2. Gluten Free Bread Available Upon Request

#5 Burger*$18.00
Gouda | Smoked Bacon Onion Jam | #5 Sauce | Lettuce | Tomato
Farmer's Daughter Burger$22.00
Avocado | Pico de Gallo | White Cheddar | Fried Egg | Spinach
Quinoa Vegetable Burger $18.00
Sliced English Cucumber | Arugula | Tomato

Mains

Crab Cakes$41.00
Twin Seared Crab Cakes | Bell Peppers | Onions | Romesco | Roasted Corn Salsa | Arugula | Grilled Lemon
Fish & Chips$24.00
Hand-Battered Local Catch | Tartar Sauce | Grilled Lemon | Honey Sriracha Aioli | Fresh Kettle Chips
Sesame Seared Tuna $46.00
Yellowfin Tuna | Hoisin Garlic Glaze | Spicy Mayo | Forbidden Rice Blend | Carrot Ribbons | Arugula

Dessert

Key Lime Pie$10.00
Chef's Ice Cream of the Day$10.00
Flourless Chocolate Torta$10.00
Italian Lemon Torte$12.00

What 814 people are saying

The Lifesaving Station - Sanderling Resort reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.1

4.1 based on recent ratings

4.3Food
4.3Service
4.3Ambience
3.9Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Coastal North Carolina
Great for brunch
Coastal North Carolina
Kid-friendly
Coastal North Carolina
Great for outdoor dining
Outer Banks
Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

The Lifesaving Station at Sanderling Resort offers a "very pleasant experience" with "amazing" crab hush puppies and "fantastic" flounder. The service is often "friendly and attentive," with a cozy setting featuring a fireplace. Despite some noise and service delays, the food quality and scenic location make it a worthwhile visit.

814 Reviews

D
Dorothy VIP
Atlanta3 reviews
5.0
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Delicious appetizers and crab soup was excellent. Crab cake was mediocre.
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S
Sandra
Coastal North Carolina1 review
5.0
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Service was outstanding! We loved it! Food was great!
Is this helpful?
J
Jeff
Virginia3 reviews
2.0
Dined on July 9, 2025
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
The only reason for two stars (versus one) is because of the delicious she crab soup and our waiter. Long wait at hostess stand. Had 6pm reservation. When we arrived there were two groups waiting. The hostess did not show up until 6:12pm. She was apologetic. Dining room was very warm. Even though my husband sat in front of one of the AC units and there was a fan over our table, we were sweating. The noise level was ridiculous. The waiter started describing the catch of the day and the level increased so much I could not hear a word. It continued at that level most of the evening. Not fun to have to scream across the table to be heard. Cold soup - not lukewarm, it was actually cold. And it was all four cups. Our waiter was quick to act. We received our own bowls back - which we only knew because my husband had put pepper on his. His bowl was set in front of the other couple. The rest of us had no idea if the bowl in front of us was actually our own. And then more surprising not to get new soup- they were only slightly warm. Their soup is delicious so it was really disappointing to have this issue. Our party had 1/2 wedge salad, 1/2 Caesar salad with chicken, crab cakes, and catch of day rockfish. The person with the wedge salad was disappointed with the small size. The crab cakes were burnt but they said it was still good. The Caesar was good. The rockfish was well cooked and good. The water was lukewarm. No to little ice. Our waiter was friendly and attentive. He was very busy but always looked our way when passing by. This is our second visit to the Lifesaving Station. We returned because we had an excellent experience. Sadly we got the opposite on this visit.
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P
Patrick
Virginia3 reviews
5.0
Dined on July 8, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Our dinner at The Lifesaving Station was wonderful. It was very easy to make reservations and our table was ready when we arrived. The waiter was polite and attentive, explained the specials, and made a good wine recommendation to accompany our entrees. The meals were all well prepared and we particularly enjoyed the crab cakes and seared tuna. We have eaten here several times over the years and this was one of the best experiences to date.
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R
Ray
Virginia2 reviews
5.0
Dined on July 4, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Very pleasant experience. I would go back there again.
Is this helpful?
k
katie
Miami - Dade3 reviews
5.0
Dined on July 1, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Crab hush puppies were amazing and service was great!
Is this helpful?
B
Brendan
Unspecified1 review
4.0
Dined on July 1, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Wanted a salad but for a “full” salad with chicken added it was very small.
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P
Patrick VIP
Chicago / Illinois1 review
3.0
Dined on June 28, 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
Food was quite good, but service was very slow and missed the mark. Just little things which seem like common sense for a good restaurant (ie extra side plates for a shared appetizer, an extra fork for a shared dessert, sweetener for an after-dinner coffee, proactively checking on drinks, etc) were lacking and detracted from what would have otherwise been a great experience.
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U
Uwe
Raleigh / Durham / Chapel Hill3 reviews
3.0
Dined on June 25, 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 2
We were seated in the upstairs dining room. There were 2 large groups sitting there, the acoustic was not favorably. It was very loud. Furthermore the kitchen was running out of crab cakes. The server was very nice and the food was good, but overall it was only a mediocre experience.
Is this helpful?
L
Lauren
Philadelphia County2 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 24, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Our 3rd year here when we come on vacation! Excellent every time! ❤️
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FAQs

The Lifesaving Station - Sanderling Resort offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (252) 449-6654.

The Lifesaving Station - Sanderling Resort is rated 4.1 stars by 814 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 20, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 32 times today

Google Map for The Lifesaving Station - Sanderling Resort

1461 Duck Rd, Duck, NC 27949

Additional information

Neighborhood
Duck
Hours of operation
Breakfast Daily 7:00 am–11:30 am Lunch Daily 12:00 pm–4:30 pm Dinner Daily 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
American, Contemporary Southern, Comfort Food
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
None
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.sanderling-resort.com/restaurants-and-bars/life-saving-station
Phone number
(252) 449-6654
Private party facilities
We offer private event space for up to 24 guests. Please contact info@sanderling-resort.com for more info!

The Lifesaving Station - Sanderling Resort

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

Starters

Coastal Crab Dip$18.00

Burrata and Prosciutto$18.00

Crab Hush Puppies$17.00

Olive Dip$16.00

Spicy Edamame$16.00

BB Chips$18.00

Soups & Salads

Caprese Salad$9.00

Caesar Salad$10.00

Wedge Salad$17.00

Soup du Jour$9.00

Mixed Greens$15.00

Handhelds

Fried Chicken Sandwich$18.00

Local Fresh Catch Sandwich$19.00

Prime Rib French Dip$24.00

Sanderling Sandwich$17.00

Chicken Caesar Wrap$18.00

Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwich $18.00

Burgers

#5 Burger*$18.00

Farmer's Daughter Burger$22.00

Quinoa Vegetable Burger $18.00

Mains

Crab Cakes$41.00

Fish & Chips$24.00

Sesame Seared Tuna $46.00

Dessert

Key Lime Pie$10.00

Chef's Ice Cream of the Day$10.00

Flourless Chocolate Torta$10.00

Italian Lemon Torte$12.00

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

Does The Lifesaving Station - Sanderling Resort offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is The Lifesaving Station - Sanderling Resort restaurant rated?

Is The Lifesaving Station - Sanderling Resort currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information