22 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).“

““We listen and we don’t judge.” Omg their garlic sauce with their mussels and clams. I drank it with a straw. Key lime pie martini is fresh, bright, and filled with flavor. Their oyster shot is awesome especially if you are just dying for an oyster. The hubs pretzel and a Holden tea? (I think that is what it was). The pretzel was soft and buttery and the cheese sauce was perfect to dunk the cheese. His tea…. Ooooo you can find trouble with that tea!!!! Back to that sauce though. Extra, EXTRA bread is a must. Service is amazing and attentive. Definitely a place you want to go during the beginning of your vacation so you can go BACK TO IT! I’ll be back tomorrow!“

“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.“

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

“Favorite restaurant for seafood“

“10/10 recommend this restaurant to anyone in the Calabash area!! Super great service and the food quality was amazing. Our favorite restaurant we’ve been to in Calabash. Our waitress was Aliyah and she was the BEST waitress we have ever had. Super personable and quick and made our experience even better!!“

“Oh! My! Goodness! Absolutely delicious food!! I had shrimp tacos and onion rings and they were THE best I have ever had (I am a bit of an onion ring connoisseur) 🙌 I highly recommend Waterfront Seafood Shack ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“Have eaten here several times over the past few years. Consistently one of the finest seafood restaurants we’ve ever visited. While the atmosphere isn’t exceptional, it’s good for a seafood restaurant. Of all the Calabash restaurants, this is our favorite. We ordered drinks as soon as seated and then food. ALL was delivered inside of 10 minutes - probably 5 minutes. We had fried shrimp and clam strips. Breading, temperature, and presentation was excellent. Delicious! Hush puppies with honey butter was our dessert! Senior menu option and very reasonable prices. I highly recommend this place if you’re trying to decide which of the dozen restaurants to dine at in Calabash.

Parking: Large lot beside the restaurant and even larger lot directly across from the restaurant at Callahan’s if needed.“

“OUTSTANDING SEAFOOD!!!!“

“We found this place on accident because our usual seafood spot was closed. It's on the side of the road. A quiet little nook. This fish and shrimp here was so good! If you were to eat outside, they have a sink she you can wash your hands when you are done. I just think that is so conveinent. All they need to do is add some honey and brown sugar to the hush puppies, and they would be spot on! We definitely will be back!“

“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.“

“Great experience at Bennett’s Grill and Cafe. Food was delicious and staff was friendly!“

“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.“

“Took two picky teens and they loved it. The staff was very friendly. The nice man who greeted us initially got the two girls to smile and that’s a great start for every family. The food was delicious and served fast. Our teens said “Mom this food in our town would be super expensive!!”. The were excited to get a fancy meal :). Thank you to the waitress and nice man who greeted us.“

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

“I have been so blessed to have been able to dine in this restaurant for the last 20 plus years. During that time I have been able to meet and become friends with the owner. It is always so rewarding to go to a restaurant that is privately owned and the owner cares about his food and his clients. As long as I own a home in this area, this will be one of my favorite places to dine.“

“Very consistent place great staff and food!“

“Had an awesome experience there today visiting for the first time.. The waitress Christy was amazing, patient, always stopping by checking on us.. The environment was very nice, rustic feel, booths made us feel like royalty.. The food was very good, didn’t take long to come out.. the fish, oysters, and shrimp were all cooked and seasoned perfectly and tasted like they were caught this morning.. I highly recommend to anyone in the shallote or ocean isle are, as it was recommended to us and we were not let down at all..“

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