Outer Banks Heritage in Every Bite

As the owner of five Outer Banks restaurants and a full-service catering company, Beaman Hines is responsible for feeding thousands of people every day. From the hugely popular Pickle-Brined Chicken Sandwich at Sandtrap Tavern to the succulent Shrimp and Corn Chowder at Shipwrecks Taphouse and Grill to the crowd-pleasing Eastern North Carolina-style pork barbecue at Sooey’s BBQ & Rib Shack, his restaurants dish out perfectly prepared seafood, meats and produce for hungry locals and visitors from Corolla to Nags Head.

Feeding people is something that runs deep in the Hines family, whose lineage dates back at least two centuries on the Outer Banks. Hines' great-grandfathers and maternal grandfather were commercial fishermen, and his father and brother continue this family commercial fishing heritage today.

Growing up in Stumpy Point and then Kitty Hawk, Hines had the entrepreneurial spirit of a commercial fisherman early on. He learned how to catch, preserve and cook local seafood from everyone in his family and began his own commercial fishing operation at age 10 after his parents gave him a 12’ locally built skiff for Christmas. He set crab pots and gillnets behind his grandparents’ store in Stumpy Point, sold his own catch and helped his father and grandfather in commercial fishing well into adulthood. Even to this day he is part owner of a commercial fishing business with his father and brother. 

As a young man Hines also worked in restaurants alongside his grandmother, mother and other family members. In his family, everyone worked hard, and when they weren’t working, they were getting together for a great big meal, often with Hines at the backyard grill smoking barbecue. He learned to smoke and grill from his maternal grandmother in Stumpy Point. 

All that background makes Hines a natural in the restaurant business. However, he didn’t start out with restaurants but rather in selling restaurant equipment while still in college. It was through that business, which he still owns, that he learned of a restaurant deal that had fallen through in Nags Head. That led to Hines creating Sooey’s BBQ & Rib Shack in 2001. He brought in his grilling and smoking skills to serve barbecue, ribs, beef brisket and fried chicken alongside all the favorite Southern-style sides and hushpuppies with honey butter. Hines has two locations of Sooey’s, one in Nags Head and one in Corolla, and they’re extremely popular for feeding big family groups and large parties. 

Hines’ connections to Outer Banks commercial fishing shine at his two Kitty Hawk restaurants, Sandtrap Tavern and Shipwrecks Taphouse & Grill. His father and brother supply the restaurants with locally harvested seafood like shrimp and fish, and those family connections mean that Hines can completely trust that the local seafood he serves has been handled with care.

At Shipwrecks, seafood-based dishes are some of the most popular on the menu. Diners fill up on steamed local seafood like shrimp, oysters and clams as well as imported favorites like snow crab legs. They also love Shipwrecks’ aforementioned and award-winning Shrimp and Corn Chowder, Chili Lime Shrimp Burger, Bang Sand trap Taco Plate with fish or shrimp tacos, Shrimp and Grits, crab cakes, Cajun Seafood Bake and Admiral’s Platter with broiled or fried scallops, shrimp and fish. Of course, they also have land-based favorites like burgers, duck eggrolls, wings, salads and more.

Over at Sandtrap Tavern, the neighborhood pub at Sea Scape Golf Course, the fare ranges from local seafood like steamed shrimp and Buffalo Fried Shrimp to popular fish or shrimp tacos and seafood platters, with seafood harvested from the Hines family business. Burgers and sandwiches, including that famous Pickle-Brined Chicken Sandwich and the Tavern Dip, make Sandtrap a popular stop for lunch and dinner for both golfers and nongolfers. Sandtrap also serves a tasty breakfast menu.

Hines embraces his Southern-cooking roots at Simply Southern Kitchen in Harbinger on the Currituck mainland. He modeled this restaurant after a Southern restaurant that some of his relatives had previously run. It brings together the barbecue of Sooey’s with all the favorites like fried chicken, Salisbury steak, fried chicken livers, mashed potatoes, collard greens and baked beans. Plus they serve breakfast.

As if all that doesn’t keep him busy enough, Hines also owns Carolina Catering and Events, offering catering for events like intimate fine dining for weddings to whole hog pig pickings. His team serves seafood, barbecue, Southern favorites and more along the whole Outer Banks and even in locations up and down the East Coast. 

What’s most important to Hines is that all of his restaurants serve top-quality, homemade and locally grown and harvested food as much as possible. Nearly everything is made in house, and everyone who works with him is committed to making customers happy through a fantastic dining experience, whether it’s take-out, dine-in at a restaurant or catered.

With a family history like Hines’, it’s easy to see what motivates him to work hard in the restaurant business. This sixth-generation Outer Banks native loves feeding his fellow locals and welcoming visitors to get a taste of his Outer Banks heritage in every bite.

For more information about each business, click or tap the logo below.