City: Ocracoke Village, NC

Category: Nightlife

Telephone: (252) 928-4441

Address: NC 12

Description: This is our absolute favorite place to hear live bands. Featuring the friendliest crowd of locals and visitors around, Howard’s Pub has an atmosphere and feeling all its own. Once you’ve visited you’ll plan to stop at this upbeat yet casual place at least once during every visit to Ocracoke. Howard’s is open late nights—and is a great spot to mingle with locals.The pub serves more types of beer than any place we know—more than 200 varieties are available. There’s a second-floor outdoor deck with breathtaking, ocean-to-sound views, perfect for catching sunsets or falling stars. A huge, screened porch—with booths and table seating for relaxing in the evening breezes—borders an entire side of the spacious wooden building. The dance floor has more than doubled in recent years. Two big-screen TVs and numerous smaller ones offer sports fans constant entertainment. Howard’s has a dartboard, a pool table in the off-season, board games, and card games available free for playful patrons. The full menu, including pizza, sandwiches, hamburgers, and raw bar items, is offered until closing time.Bands play most nights during summer season and on weekends during winter. Music covers rhythm and blues, bluegrass, jazz, rock, and originals. The occasional open-mike and karaoke nights are favorites for locals and visitors alike. Howard’s Pub never charges a cover, and even when electricity fails the rest of the island, this place is equipped with a generator so the crew keeps cooking—and the beer stays cold.