I'm headed to the outer banks for vacation this year and I plan on doing a good bit of surf and pier fishing but I have no Idea what kind of hooks I should get. What brand has proven reliable and what size?

I'd get an assortment of gamakatsu octopus or octopus circle hooks. Not sure when you are going or what species you are after but if you got a few packs of 3/0, 5/0 and 8/0, I think you'd be covered.

I'd go with Owner hooks, the sharpest and strongest hooks I've used.

I am certainly no expert but I spend a bit of time fishing the OB. For most of the stuff you will catch from the piers or surf with a basic bottom rig Eagle Claw 231X (double line) snelled hooks in sizes 4 and 6 work well. The big chopper blues, kings, and drum are a different story, but this size works for average blues, Spanish, sea trout, flounder, etc.

No clue about species in the OB, but if fishing with a few rods in a rod holder I would recommend circle hooks.
You will get solid hookups without gut-hooking much.

If you will be holding the rod, then J type hooks are ok, although they can still be swallowed and will be a mess to release/dehook a fish.

I still use trebles or Jhook on lures, but For any bait soaking I have moved completely to circle hooks. 3/0 thin wire circle Eagle Claws have worked well in the surf gulf for me. 5/0-8/0 for bigger fish such as bull reds, blacks and small sharks.
You can't set the hook hard on a circle hook though, as you will pul it from the mouth, slow tension does it.

Basically you need to match your hook to bait size.
Brads - Owner, Gamakatsu, Mustad Daiichi, Eagle Claw, all should be good.