23 Best Seafood Restaurants near Ocean Isle Beach

“We arrived early evening on a Tuesday and the place was absolutely slammed. We put her name in for a table and went upstairs for a Tiki drink or two. Drinks were excellent. After we were seated our server, Riley took out drink order and reappeared quickly with water and our drinks. I have the captain’s platter and chose shrimp and clams and Anne ordered the shrimp and grits. Riley had warned us that it’s a large portion, but who knows what that really can be. Well, the food arrived promptly and the shrimp and grits truly was an enormous portion. Enough for two. Was creamy, cheesy, slammed full of shrimp, andouille and mushrooms. My shrimp and clams were lightly breaded and fried to perfection. Frankly, as busy as it was, I was surprised with the speed of service and the quality of the food. Absolutely recommend this place!“

“We had a very nice meal here tonight. Staff were very friendly and helpful. The food and drinks were great. Just an FYI, they charge $0.50 per container of cocktail and tartar sauce. I do not recall reading this on the menu, and I have never paid for an itemized condiment list on my bill EVER (and I am almost 50).“

“I only gave a 4 on service because they were down a waitress and it took quite a while to get waited on. The food was very good and came out quickly after our order was finally taken. I do want to point out that Robbie, the young man that waited on us, was so nice. He didn't normally wait tables but he did an awesome job. I'm sure he doesn't get the appreciation he deserves. I would recommend this restaurant for a reasonably priced meal“

“Love this place. Always our first dinner out when we go to OIB!“

“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.“

“Favorite restaurant for seafood“

“This place has great food, excellent service and great atmosphere. if your looking for a great place to eat, this is definately one to eat.“

“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.“

“Ate there Saturday night…freshest shrimp…simply delicious. Love the laid back atmosphere, eating outdoors with cool breezes. The perfect spot. Everyone in my group was pleased with their food, quick availability.“

“OUTSTANDING SEAFOOD!!!!“

“Needs a little updating but, the food makes up for it. Food was great and seafood was cooked the way I use to cook it in the restaurants I worked and managed. Suggestion, little more flour in your hush puppies to make it fluffier . Glad we stopped to eat here.“

“Came back again for dinner & Sue was our server again. She made it once again pleasurable & our dinners were exceptional!“

“Fried shrimp and hush puppies were delicious. Sat outside, which was wonderful. Service was great. Will definitely go back.“

“Always enjoy eating here. Staff is awesome. Food is great! Fun atmosphere!“

“Great pizza and wings. Awesome owner and staff. You feel like you are part of an extended family while enjoying delicious food.“

“Wow! One of the best places in the golf coast region. Owner Mac and bartender Jenna provide a wonderful and quirky experience. Come here to relax and laugh and enjoy delicious too quality Italian style food, and enjoy banter between customers and the staff. Don’t be uptight - go with the flow - and you’ll be a friend for life. In a sea of copycats this stands out and is a winner every time.“

“Very consistent place great staff and food!“

“The food was excellent. My son has the Grouper Neptune and said it was fantastic. I have shrimp and scallops of pasta with lemon sauce. Fantastic. My wife got pasta primavera and said that was great. The serve was excellent. Drinks didn't run dry and the waitress kept checking on us. Even the chef asked how things were. You don't get that serves usually. Was a great touch. Definitely will be back on our next beach vacation. This is our second time there and both times were fantastic. If your reading this, stop and go there. I promise it will not disappoint.“

“The resturant to enjoy a sit down excellent meal in Sunset Beach NC. I had the grouper special and a spicy Bloody Mary, it was a delicious experience, I was surprised and thrilled to eat this meal, the sweet potato fries were excellent. when the next couple sat and asked what’s good, I couldn’t stop myself for yelling out the groupper is fresh and to die for. The service was excellent and they will be opening the down stair with live music for the summer. This is going to a daily spot to visit daily. Thank you to the cook and Christy.“

“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.“

“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 .“

“We have had issues finding places we like (a lot of the places around her have been bland). We came from an area where we were pretty spoiled with great restaurants and Wing & Fish has been the only place so far that is comparable. We have been here three times so far and they have been very consistent each time. The food is great, and the staff are friendly and attentive.“

“I ordered a shrimp platter cooked light to go. It was delicious, cooked perfectly, the entire plate was great. Thanks for a delicious meal.“