14 Best Bars near Ocean Isle Beach

“Our family had the best meal all week during our vacation at Feast OIB! The owner/chef greeted us at the door and seated us. The wedge salad was delicious with homemade blue cheese dressing. The lobster risotto was wonderful and beautifully presented. The crab legs were super meaty and tender. There are great options for kids too! Amazing, friendly service with a smile. As we were leaving, the owner/chef was cleaning tables and making sure things were running smoothly. We were very impressed! I also love that the menu was clearly labeled with MANY gluten free options.“

“College football with the best Coach Bartender. Amazing time today! Will be back tomorrow for NFL Game Day!!“

“love this place. A big locals bar, but newcomers are always welcome“

“great food, great atmosphere, super friendly staff!“

“Holly was great - giving her 5 stars! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 —plus that Brie BLT was fan-fabulous!“

“Pour House is a great local spot with something for everyone. They offer trivia, ping pong tournaments, arcade games, pool tables, and a big selection of local beer and cocktails. There’s plenty of seating, a small lounge with more seating upstairs, big screens to watch the games, the bathrooms are clean, and the staff is always friendly. They occasionally have live music, which is a fun bonus. We come here most weekends because the atmosphere is relaxed, there’s always something to do, and it’s just an easy place to hang out with friends. You can also order food from the Fish & Company restaurant next door. 10/10“

“Course was in great condition very enjoyable! Staff was great, they were friendly and helpful. We had a group of three golfers. Two of us beginners and one experienced golfer and we had a great time. We played the Sand and Piper 9’s. This course might become part of our annual beach vacation.“

“Great place for cold beer and good food. Live music by Low Tide Revival was playing who put on a great show. Great prices on drinks and excellent sandwiches. I'll definitely be back :)“

“What an amazing experience! It was a quit place to have a cocktail. We had plenty of games to play! We started with darts then played the famous Keno. We had some luck, however, more luck to come. Thank you to Pam for her hard work and dedication at making our first time one amazing timepiece!!“

“Plenty of Fried Calabash Style Seafood to Go Around

I definitely need to learn more about the history of Calabash style seafood, because here just about everything comes fried (though there are plenty of nonfried options too). The décor is fun, the volume was perfect for a date night, and the energy in the room was shared. Everyone was having a great time.

Like most spots in the area, the meal started with hush puppies.. huge, golden, and delicious. The honey butter makes them special, and I liked that they came complimentary. The lemon pepper calamari was more complicated and confusing, it had a burnt like flavor at first, but after a few bites and plenty of lemon juice, it started to work. You just need to take some time to figure where the flavors are coming from. (You need to ask for lemons, they don’t come with it) Still, the oil pooling in the basket turned me off, and I wouldn’t order it again.

The “stuffed” flounder was tasty, though a bit misleading? It’s more of a fillet split down the middle with filling in between. I enjoyed the full shrimp and crab tucked inside, but the skin left under the fish made me pause for a second (maybe that’s normal?). On the sides, the coleslaw was sweet and refreshing vs a more vinegar approach, while my fries were disappointing lacking crispness, salt, and flavor. I’d go for the baked potato next time.

We also tried the Calabash shrimp and deviled crab combo plate. The shrimp missed the crunch and seasoning I was hoping for, but the deviled crab was unique. Not necessarily my favorite but it was somewhere between a crab pot pie and a sweet hush puppy flavor. Meanwhile, my 1 year old happily worked through her spaghetti, so at least it passed that test.

Overall, the atmosphere here had a good weekend energy and was overall enjoyable, but the food missed the mark in several places for me. Not sure I’d rush back. I’m going with four stars because I’m not the best fish food critic, but if you’re into fried fish you should try it out. It seems like a calabash staple and the staff was extremely nice/helpful.“

“Food is great, service is great.“

“I must first state I am a extreamly picky person. This was the best food I have had in a long long time. I am a local and feel that not only was our serivce exceptional but the food was on par with several mislin star places in New york that I have eaten. even food i usally dont like like squash i loved here. I will be 100 percent going back and look forward to it being my new spot.“

“Staff is great Food is always great I highly recommend Chilli's!“

“Drove 50 minutes to meet some friends to eat here for the first time. Was told it could be up to a 2 hr wait . The band was awesome and the wait was only an hour and 10 min. EVERY person we came in contact with was super friendly and hospitable! The hostess was not at all upset when we asked to move to a different table because we were right under an air duct. The food was great! The chips with the crab dip tasted stale and we probably should have sent them back but we didn’t want to mess up the good vibe. We enjoyed it and would def do the drive and wait again .“