The Cotton Gin

For those traveling to the Outer Banks, The Cotton Gin is a beloved landmark with its large windmill and picturesque gardens. The Cotton Gin has stood in the same location since 1929, starting as a working cotton gin and growing to a gift store with 4 locations. Visitors are treated to a unique shopping experience in our main store in Jarvisburg, as well as our beach stores in Corolla, Duck, and Nags Head. Explore room after room filled with décor for your home and coastal fashions for both men and women. Discover the brands you really want, like, Vera Bradley, Vineyard Vines, La Mer Luex, Simply Southern, Lindsay Phillips, Scout, Pandora, Kameleon, Brighton, Spartina, Tommy Bahama, Southern Tide and Salt Life and Old Guys Rule - all under one roof!

 

Don’t forget the gourmet market, or shop our beautiful linens for your bedroom and bath. We also feature coastal books and fine art, or just a whimsical fun gift to bring home to family and friends. Stop by soon and don’t forget to try our estate grown wines in our stores or visit our vineyard and winery, Sanctuary Vineyards, located adjacent to the original Cotton Gin in Jarvisburg.

 

Most know The Cotton Gin as a must-stop shop for fine gifts, beachwear, souvenirs and so much more, but this retailer has a long-standing history within the Outer Banks. A local landmark that holds almost a century of memories, The Cotton Gin started from humble beginnings and continues to adapt to the times and tourists. Tommy Wright’s family has been in the Outer Banks for nearly 200 years. His great-great grandfather, Jacob Francis Wright, shipwrecked in Duck back in the early 1800s. Calling these barrier islands his new home, Wright and his family acclimated to their new environment.

 

Adaptation is a common theme for the Wright family. Tommy and his wife Candace, who continue to steer The Cotton Gin, have seen not only their business change with the times, but the Outer Banks as a vacation destination as well. A farm market in Jarvisburg eventually transformed and flourished into several retail locations dotting the Outer Banks.

 

“As the area changed and tourism took off in the 1960s, the family saw people coming for vacations, so they began to grow vegetables and things developed from there,” says Tommy Wright. The Wright family expanded upon the farm market and began to remodel a working cotton gin, later transforming the gin into The Cotton Gin general store in the late 1960s. While the additions to the farm store drew visitors, it was their encounters with the Wright family that kept people coming back year after year, which is something that remains true today.

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Miller's Seafood and Steakhouse

Miller’s Seafood & Steakhouse has been a favorite among locals and visitors for more forty years. Offering delicious southern cuisine for both breakfast and dinner in a casual family atmosphere infused with coastal flair, it’s no wonder this Kill Devil Hills restaurant is a family tradition for so many. You’ll love waking up to favorites like biscuits and gravy, farm fresh eggs and buttermilk pancakes. Dinner options are just as tempting with menu items that include the freshest Outer Banks Catch seafood, she crab soup, Angus beef and fried green tomatoes just to name a few. Not only does Miller’s Seafood & Steakhouse offer great breakfast and dinner options, Miller’s newest menu item – Hawaiian/American Fusion Sushi – is sure to please the sushi lover in you. From the Miller’s Roll that combines tempura fried crispy lobster tail with tantalizing ingredients to the High Tide and OBX Roller, guests will love choosing from a delicious variety of sushi options developed and prepared by Miller’s expert Sushi chef.

 

Along with its scrumptious cuisine, Miller’s Seafood & Steakhouse offers a warm friendly atmosphere coupled with genuine Outer Banks hospitality. You’ll discover that not only is Miller’s a tradition for so many, it’s also a Miller family tradition. Two generations of Millers have worked side by side to make the Kill Devil Hills restaurant a favorite for all who pass through its doors. Owners Brian and Beth Miller want guests to feel at home and can often be found making rounds to check on customers and mingle with them as they dine.

 

Here at Miller’s, everyone is treated like family as they experience an unforgettable dining experience. Large parties are also welcome, making it perfect for extended families to enjoy dining together on their Outer Banks vacation. Come on in and see for yourself why Miller’s Seafood & Steakhouse is more than just a great restaurant. It’s a tradition.

 

It was 1978 when Eddie and Lou Miller first opened Miller’s Seafood and Steakhouse. As a teenager, their son Brian spent his summers working in the restaurant, getting familiar with the family business. After college, Brian and his wife Beth came back to Kill Devil Hills and began working together at Miller’s. Brian and Beth officially purchased the restaurant from Eddie and Lou in 2007. A few years later they opened American Pie together, and both restaurants now carry on the Miller family tradition of quality, excellence and hospitality.