We're from out of town and craving sea food. We decided on Billfish. It was around dinner time on a Sunday. The place was pretty empty but soon the locals trickled in. The place is small but clean. Had a good vibe and was very quiet. Just the way we like it. Easy to read menu. The food was excellent. Mike our server was great. We had the Calamari Fritti. It was very light and crispy. The Bang Bang Shrimp Po Boy Burger and Steamed Trio were Awesome. They ran out of Clams for the Trio but added extra Shrimp to accommodate. (Check out my photos) We also tried the Prime Cheese Burger and I have to say that was a Dam good burger. I was very surprised because a good burger is hard to find especially at a place that primarily has sea food on menu. For wine I had a glass of 1924 Double Black Cabernet. So good!!!!!Everything was great will come again when I'm back in town. Note: they do charge a service fee of 3.9% but waive it if you pay cash. read more

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We were greeted pleasantly and friendly by the welcoming hostess. The food was excellent and the live entertainment was a music bingo game that was entertaining and very engaging. The only weakness we saw was our waitress was borderline surly. But we might have caught her on a bad night or the automatic 20% tip plus a 3.9% extra charge (we had a party of 6) guaranteed her a healthy tip regardless. The restaurant is small, so l would recommend securing a reservation! read more

For the positive, the service was good and the beer on tap was cold. We wanted this to be good, since it is walking distance to the place we own but it was not. The food was mediocre and overpriced. Calimari tasted like it was fried with fish and it was served on a bed of lettuce(?). Fish tacos were overstuffed and had some not tasty weird green sauce, asian slaw, cheddar cheese...not good. Tuna appetizer looked preprepared, not fresh. Hush puppies were also not good and resembled grocery store frozen hush puppies. Draft red oak was $9 for a pint! Go to a different restaurant to get a quality local seafood meal that is better prepared and your money's worth. read more

This was the first time we've ever eaten here, but I doubt it'll be the last time. Mike, was terrific getting our order correct and having everything out quickly and exactly as we ordered it. This is going to seem a little odd, but their collard greens are out of this world; truly the best I've ever had. We had the bang bang shrimp as an appetizer, and it was wonderful. I normally don't mess with my coleslaw, but I gotta tell you it was really good, with a little hint of horseradish. There are mini cornbread muffins were excellent. read more

Last year my girlfriend and I stayed across the street and visited this restaurant. It was great! The food was so good we ate there 3 times, the atmosphere was fun and the wait staff was wonderful. I couldn't wait to bring my family! We ate there on Saturday night and it was horrible. The host couldn't find our reservation which was not a problem as the place was empty. I got the Angry Lobster Ravioli which was just lots of sauce with tiny shrimp. The ravioli had no taste at all. My son got sautéed shrimp and crab meet which was just shrimp and crab meat floating in butter. Thankfully the hamburger my granddaughter got was ok. The waiter was great so we didn't complain but we were all glad to leave! read more

Overall vibe: Strange and Disappointing My grandmother and I were looking for a nice night out on our mini vacation. Unfortunately, we came across this restaurant. First, we were greeted by fig newtons on a platter under a glass dome??? Once seated, we were offered some collard greens that our waitress seemed to really want us to eat. My grandmother ordered a burger and fries - she said it was decent besides the American cheese on the burger. I ordered the coconut chicken which was sprinkled with some weird-looking sauce and then paired with it was a marshmallow fluff dipping sauce?? There was a piece of chicken that was rubbery that I decided not to try to keep eating. The strangest part of our experience was overhearing the way the waiters interacted with other guests. Some guests commented about wanting better wait staff. No one was rude per se, however, the wait staff is just quite awkward. We were offered dessert but were a little afraid to try it, so we left hastily. We will never be returning unless we want to pull a prank on a family member. Wish we saw the 1 star reviews before eating there. read more

My first experience was not great but Lana made it right. She not only responded to my review immediately, she gave me a call to personally apologize and offer solutions. I will be returning for a redo because they went above and beyond for a first time customer. read more

Not the same Billfish I had been to before, which was excellent. Prices were way high. No other customers there at dinner time - should have been my first red flag. Service was nice. But I will not be returning. read more

We stopped in here during vacation for dinner. We had previously called ahead to ensure that our daughter's food allergies could be accommodated and were given a list of items that were safe for her to eat. However, once we arrived it became clear that all of these items were cross contaminated, which was not what was indicated on the phone. This in and of itself is not enough for the two-star review, in fact, our waitress was one of the nicest, kindest individuals I have ever met. She worked so hard to make all of us comfortable and tried to find solutions so our daughter could eat. In the end the food ended up being subpar, and extremely expensive for what we got. Even without the allergy issue, I would likely not return. But five stars for our wonderful waitress (who's name i wish I had written down). read more

Billfish Grill & Bar - Seafood Near Me - Indian Beach, North Carolina

What a great vibe!! I cannot believe that I have not dined here sooner! The outside is so beautiful and relaxing with huge oak trees. There was great music and I was so relaxed My server was Cindy and I loved her personality. She was very knowledgeable and helpful with a little bit of spunk. I went inside to use the restroom and loved the vibe inside, too However- outside was unbeatable The menu is full of seafood options. This is a pricey restaurant. Meals are $30-$90 dollars. It doesn't feel expensive, but is Nonetheless, my grouper salad was delicious. My Bloody Mary was also very good and only $10.00. The best part was the complimentary collards brought to the table. I don't know what they put in them but WOW!!! Absolutely delicious!!! I can't wait to go back and try their seafood flatbread and other lobster meals. They have music bingo on Friday's. Loved it! read more

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More please!! Stopped here for a quiet lunch outside!!! After I was seated I was brought a tray of collards and cornbread. While typically not something I would order it looked and smelled amazing so I gave it a try. They were both quite good!!! My fried green tomato and burrata salad was spectacular!!!! read more

Billfish Grill & Bar - Collards and Cornbread - Seafood Near Me - Indian Beach, North Carolina

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This place was good i came here just for boats i seen this place down the roses and they said it was good but yea their service was good read more

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Stayed close by food was all over priced and small portions. We found hair in fries and bill was over $100 for 4 people. Do not recomend.

Awful, awful, awful service. Came with a party of 12 and it took 10-15 minutes before each family received their meals with no apology. Water was never filled up, had to go to the bar to get refills, yet we were still charged 20% gratuity. Will NOT come back. Save your money. Just own your mistakes if you failed to place orders. And the waiter we had, Mikey Mikey was rude when we asked about our order. It was an overall odd experience and disappointing. read more

Cool spot on the inside. The server was new and didn't know some of the menu, but she was nice and attentive. The food was very well cooked and seasoned. Never seen Cobia on a menu before, so trying that was cool (might be my new favorite fish). The only knock is the price. Fairly expensive if looking for a casual dinner with younger children. read more

Overpriced for the quality. $53 for a small portion of deconstructed "stuffed flounder" on a huge pile of white rice, smear of crab in sauce. Lobster dip was mostly cheese. Sides I had were unremarkable. For $30 bucks, I want more than two just Ok hush puppies, frozen fries every drivein sells and a couple of spoonfuls of bland coke slaw. Or two glasses of Kendall Jackson for $26. read more

First to will start off Yelp is 3.2 for stars and if I would've saw that I would not have came. Google shows this place 4.3 and it is far from. This experience was too poor to ignore. From start to finish, this dinner was a disaster. Our reservation was messed up from the start made it online showed up and said it was not confirmed. I showed a screenshot and hostess said well if you can wait I can seat you. Took 25mins after the time to seat. And to just push two tables together that were already empty. We waited an hour and forty minutes for our food, and during that time, we barely saw our server. Which can be understandable, maybe, if the place was packed, but they only had two waitresses downstairs and possibly one upstairs. The service was overwhelmed and it showed. The paper menu which is only front and back was misleading. Halfway through waiting for our food, we were told certain dishes either didn't come with the listed sides (specifically the steak) or you could choose a side and then our waitress would comeback later and said the side wasn't even offered at all. That's unacceptable. Our appetizers came timely but, we weren't even given plate so we all had to take turns getting a bite. When the food finally came, it was a massive disappointment. One example is the $45 ravioli dish had five ravioli. Yes, five. The portions across the board were shockingly small. The collard greens were $9 for what looked like a dish the size of a yogurt cup. Now our drinks? We only saw a refill twice in the entire two hours. To top it off, the food wasn't even good. The seafood was rubbery and bland. The sides were cold. For the prices they're charging, this place should be delivering fine dining, but instead what we got was a frustrating, overpriced mess. The atmosphere seemed nice but, the restrooms were small and not up to par for feeling clean. Pictures online are misleading I would not return and cannot recommend this to anyone. read more

This place is horrible. So overpriced I had a ravioli dish with 5 raviolis in it for 44 dollars. The service was horrible and we waited 2 hours for our food and the food still sucked. The ambiance of the place was alright but there was 1 person for each floor moving around. They couldn't even have king crab at a seafood restaurant. One of the worst places I've been too and will never return. read more

Stopped at Billfish and loved the food. And the service was outstanding. I loved the apps and tried something new for me, greens and cornbread mini muffins. Great starter. My hubs loved the fried shrimp and I had Bang Bang Shrimp and Blackened Shrimp on my salad. Great choice. Even the ice tea was fab, not sweet, just like I love it. The service is wonderful. Attentive and friendly but not overly. I felt like they were new friends. And They have a great rapport with the other customers coming in to eat. Yep. All good. All delicious. All nice atmosphere. Good food. This is a place we are going to bring Family and we are going to return too! read more

My family comes to Emerald Isle every year. We all really wanted some good seafood before we traveled back home so we chose to go to Billfish. For the price, the food isn't great. If they lowered their prices $10-$15, I'd respect the food way more. My salmon was $35 and I've had salmon way better at a cheaper price. It wasn't as awful as some of the reviews I read about this place but it is definitely not what it seems to be. The service was decent and our waiter was very kind. The restaurant was smaller inside than it looks and they had live music outside. You get complimentary water and can order whatever drinks (Pepsi products, alcoholic drinks, etc.) you like. I would only recommend this if you like to pay high dollar for good seafood. I ordered the simply grilled salmon with a regular baked potato and fried okra! read more

Billfish Grill & Bar - Seafood Near Me - Indian Beach, North Carolina

Ate dinner there last night, 145.00 for 2 people. Service was not ideal for as slow as it was and food was par at best, portion was very small. Left hungry and not excited to visit again read more

Service is great. Although, portion sizes are very subpar and the appetizers are not worth getting if with a group. Food is great but overpriced for the amount/quality. -Jack Morgan read more

Not one of my favorites. Had a reservation for my family and when we got there they said they couldn't take us. Previous dining experience was ok but not the best read more

Our family of 12 (8 adults, 3 toddlers and a baby) went there for dinner last night. Our reservation was at 5 and we arrived a few minutes early. We were quickly seated. Mike, our waiter was terrific. He was attentive without being bothersome. Our food arrived quickly and was ample. We all enjoyed our meals and the service. read more

Had a wonderful experience here. Tried the paned shrimp and crab with side of scallops it was amazing my friend tried the angry lobster ravioli non spicy version it was really good as well. Drinks were refreshing and good tried a piece of key lime pie the best I ever had easily close to the gated condos so it's short ride from there. read more

I'm blown away how this place is still in business. The service couldn't be worse. I stood at the front door as 4 different servers walked by... not a smile, not a "hey somebody will be right with you", literally nothing. Not sure who typed up the menu, but the need to learn the definition of "Picatta" because the Salmon Picatta is wildly inaccurate. This is place is for people who have never experienced good food or good service. They could cut the price in half and it would still be too expensive. Skip this clown show. read more

I went for my birthday and I thought it was going to be good considering you have to make reservations and the price range of food I got the seafood bowl me and my boyfriend shared it. My friends got a seafood country bowl. The seafood bowl didn't even have seasoning even the butter wasn't even melted. It tasted like they just boiled it The seafood was cold and the worst part it was on my birthday read more

Such an odd experience. We had a party of 7 and they told us they could fit us in right away so we opted to dine here. To fit us, they put us at 2 4-top tables and wouldn't let us put them together despite having 3 kids. Someone appearing to be an owner or manager was constantly looking at us and put off a real creepy vibe -- the guy was just wearing a t shirt. Food and drink menu was solid and we expected pricey items however the quantity and quality was not worth the price -- $40 mahi special featured about 4oz of fish. My wife ordered a steak medium rare and received it closer to well (server even acknowledged that wasn't what she ordered) but since the kids food came out so much earlier than adult entrées it wasn't worth firing a new steak. We had a good server but obviously the kitchen wasn't up to par and the dark cold interior added to the oddness. Just odd and not worth it. read more

Our waiter seemed miserable to have our party of 15. someone's wings came frozen cold, My chicken nuggets came undercooked (Didn't want to say that after he seemed mad at the first upset over wings.) My wine tasted stale. and half our party's food came after the first table had already eaten. Food was very expensive, definitely not worth the price. Unsure of if they just got flustered at the size of the party or not. A worker sounded like they dropped a few glasses behind the bar, which another coworker yelled "The fuck is going on?" very upsetting to have come here after a wedding. UPDATE: our friend got food poisoning and had to go to the hospital because she was non stop throwing up and in absolute pain. this place should be shut down. read more

Great food and fun atmosphere. I sat on the upstairs porch. It was great. Cindy and Mike were fabulous servers! read more

Billfish Grill & Bar - Great food. Fun atmosphere. Cindy and Mike were fabulous servers! I can't wait to go back. - Seafood Near Me - Indian Beach, North Carolina

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Sad, really wanted to like it but the only thing good about it was the bartender (maybe Stacy, but super funky personality) and the Brussels. But the rest was pub food being passed off as high end. When we walked in I was sure we were at the wrong place and the growly dude at the door made it feel like we were at the wrong place too! Outside has a total vibe but inside is worse than a 60's basement or an old supper club! High gloss blue oil based paint looked applied with a spatula, lack of windows or air flow felt stale. I'd slap wood on those walls, French doors across the front and big windows on the side. Bring that cool outside vibe inside and move away from the dark depressing room it currently is. Work on matching the food, price and vibe Bill! Can't charge fancy if your not putting fancy out. read more

Great food fabulous service. Very attentive staff. I even have a birthday card from them signed by all! My grandkids first experience enjoying crab legs the best! read more

Billfish Grill & Bar - Crab legs - Seafood Near Me - Indian Beach, North Carolina

Just dined in for Billfish's BOGO entrees. The owner and staff are excellent and friendly. Our server Symone was fantastically attentive and professionally friendly. The restauraunt had a nice and relaxed ambience, with a cozy feel. We had eaten here when they 1st opened, back in May....and the food and service has increased exponentially. It was good on Day 1...but it is excellent now. We had the appetizer Philly cheesesteak rolls and coconut shrimp special....and for entrees, we had the seafood boil and the grouper florentine specialls. Everything was cooked very well and service was quick. We absolutely were pleased to come back this evening. And we will definitely be returning. Thanks Billfish for a great dining experience! read more

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This is our first time here. Staff is really amazing! This place is so nice from the outside and is very welcoming.

This was our first time and food was great and service was with a smile. Hushpuppies are out of this world. I don't care for collards but this was delicious! You can't go wrong with choosing Billfish. read more

Terrible experience - first time here - will never be back 1. I walked in with my friend and was greeted by one of the owners of the restaurant. We decided to sit at the downstairs bar and have a beer while we waited for our $100 takeout order to get packed up. Approximately 5 people stood behind the bar as we sat down and not one turned around to greet us. When one finally did (we later found out to be the owner of the joint) he informed us "there was a bar upstairs". We asked if/why we couldn't sit wt the current bar we were sitting at? He said ok, asked for our IDs and eventually served us beers as we waited. It was a very uncomfortable and unfriendly interaction and certain made us feel less than welcome 2. The food was AWFUL. It was $108 and absolutely atrocious. The lobster dip was all cream cheese and was cold and the chips that came with the dip were stale - and only came with 5 chips. The bacon wrapped scallops were soggy and chewy. The salads were unappealing and the fish combo was just terrible. We were expecting fried pickles as advertised and got fishy somewhat fried fish bites. The side of Mac and cheese was 3 bites and came jammed in a plate with fries 3. The female owner/hostess that night was so nice. The waitresses work hard and were super kind. But between the interaction with the male owner and the quality of the food for the price - I Will never come back read more

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During a recent stay in swansboro, we ventured out to Emerald Isle in search of a dinner location. Our destinations was the crab shack, but when we arrive, there were 150 people in line in front of us. We decided to 2 to 3 hour wait would not be practical since it was already 630. I looked at the seafood places near us and found this grill and bar listed. We read several reviews, and decided to give them a call. They said they could seat us immediately if we wanted to sit on the second floor. We discovered the second floor was the bar, along with several dining tables, and a pool table as well as some outdoor seating. We chose an outdoor table on the deck which overlooks the parking lot and almost immediately greeted by our waitress for the night. I will call her 32 for her years waitressing. She recommended the world famous lobster roll dip, which I ordered without even thinking. The dip was the crowning moment in the meal...incredible taste, ample portion for sharing with 4. Ordered dinner but now wish we had left after the appetizer!!! 32 was great throughout the meal until near the very end, when she failed to ensure we would ever come back there again. I ordered a steamed plate with shrimp clam and crab legs, onion rings and fried okra for my sides. About 45 minutes past before food arrived. I was only served my main platter of seafood. Several minutes past before 32 came by to check on us, and realized that I have not gotten my sides. A minute later the sides arrived but were cold. As for the seafood itself, the shrimp for medium size, steamed, with complete shell on and somewhat mushy in texture. The crab leg cluster had three small legs and slightly main claw, but was a meager portion for the price of the dish. The clams were pure rubber. Now the kicker. Daughter ordered bourbon bbq chicken wings but delivered hot Buffalo, quickly discovered after a couple of bites. Finally, 32 came by inquiring about our meal. We commented on the wings, 32 recognized that was the wrong flavoring. No offer to replace, no taking the item off the bill, no nothing... Was too late to discuss with the management team as we spent over two hours there. Summary Great place for Lobster Dip Missing main course items Cold main course items Wrong food delivered Bland or inedible items Indifferent attitudes Saltwater Grill in Swansboro will get my business next time. read more

Billfish Grill & Bar - Hot lobster with gooey cheese, and fried spinach chips. I did NOT lick the bowl... - Seafood Near Me - Indian Beach, North Carolina

The food was a little better than the average seafood joint in the area, but because the prices are too high for the average seafood joint in the area, I had to drop it to two stars. I would say the prices are 30% too high. $7.50 for an order of "Hush Puppies" That's crazy talk! This place is not high end by any means...prices need to reflect that. My gf ordered a Pain Killer. She loved it. I ordered an Old Fashion. Its rare that I think a drink is too strong, but this drink was too strong and not chilled. I had to ask for a glass of water just to get more ice to chill and dilute the drink. We ordered the fish bites app which were good, but the dipping sauce was bland. We made the mistake of ordering the entrees as soon as the app came out because the entrees were set on our table literally 3 minutes after the app came out. Not sure how that happened. The gf had the fried clam strips. They were tasty, but with the huge pile of fries, it was too much food. Problem with that is, left-over fried seafood is not very good, so it goes to waste. I had the scallops which were tasty, but again the dipping sauce (chili something???) was bland. And again, why such a huge pile of fries on the plate? And btw, a high end restaurant does not serve ketchup in a plastic squeeze bottle. Bottom line: Food good. Prices too high. read more

The newest restaurant on the island is turning out to be one of the best. Billfish Grill has something for everyone... Great Drinks made by one of the best bartenders on the island, Bruce, upstairs with live entertainment on the weekends. The main serving area downstairs has a smaller fully stocked bar and a cozy nicely decorated main eating area big enough to hold a good size Crowd of hungry locals or vacationers coming off the beach. The food prepared by Chef Tim is nothing less than spectacular with incredible fried dishes as well as fresh seafood. You can't go to Billfish without trying the lobster dip as an appetizer, the best on the island. The angry lobster ravioli is another culinary delight. The owners, Lana and Bill, are always on site working behind the scenes or greeting guests to make the dining experience the best there can be. read more

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We both had the captain's platter. The best item was the French fries. This is probably the worst meal we have ever had. The portion size far out exceeded expectations and would have been fine for the price if the food had had any taste and didn't seem like it was taken out of the freezer and been flash fried. Also the cocktail sauce was frozen. We will not be returning because of this. The one star was picked because we couldn't pick a negative number! read more