This place was pretty busy right around 5pm but we didn't have to wait too long to get seated. They have call ahead seating but don't do reservations. The hush puppies were brought out right away and they were great! It took a little longer for us to get our food but we did have a party of 13 so I guess we can't really complain too much. The flounder, popcorn shrimp, and French fries were all hits with the kids. The adults enjoyed the crab legs, deviled crab, and the calabash platter (sampler?). The food was pretty good but definitely a little pricey. I'm sure we would go back though. read more

Captain Nance's - Calabash platter - Seafood Near Me - Calabash, North Carolina

See all

Ok, I'm giving this place three stars because I'm sure for the people that love fried food, love this place. The staff was nice and the manager was a good guy. Service was fast and friendly. So you might wonder why I gave it only 3 stars... so here it is: if you are on a program like Weight Watchers this is not your place. If you like grilled shrimp or salmon do not come here. If you think, "ok there must be a couple healthy options", you are correct. But these options are way over cooked and bland. I ordered the broiled salmon. My being from Oregon, we have salmon all the time, we grill it, broil it, but we never over cook it!... you get the idea. Salmon can taste amazing when it's not over cooked. Sorry for the people that are trying to loose weight or maintain, you can not do it here with the vast majority of the choices. If your in Weight Watchers and reading this and going to this restaurant you should know that 3 hush puppies are 9 points! They serve these things in French fry baskets 12-18 per basket. I saw the table next to mine get three baskets for 4 people. Doesn't anyone worry about calories? Saturated fat? their overall health? I mean these fried foods lead to all kinds of diseases and obesity, which also leads to even more health issues. Anyway, to the people that don't care about these things, this seems like a great restaurant with great fried food. For people trying to have a nice body, or healthy lifestyle may want to think twice about this place. Oh ya one other thing, why does it matter if the shrimp/seafood is fresh? I mean they just throw it in a fryer until it's golden crisp. Anyway the people that run the place are good people and the restaurant is clean and has fast friendly service. read more

Pretty good food. Slaw was good different had pickle relish in it. Flounder was fair. Shrimp was very good. However sitting outside the birds were a problem. I'd recommend sitting inside. read more

We will NEVER go back to Captain Nance's. Here is the summary: 1. Walked in and there were 5 girls at the hostess station all on their phones 2. We were seated and it took at least 10-15 minutes to be waited on 3. The food was tasteless and unappealing 4. The broiled fish was burned on top 5. Afterwards, both of us were nauseous from the food we ate read more

Dinner may be ok, but I was not happy with the lunch special. The seafood tasted worse than something you'd get from the frozen food section from the grocery store. The fries were definitely not fresh and the slaw was swimming in liquid. A tour bus stopped in while we were there so it was really crowded, but the dining room is large. The restaurant came highly recommended from someone who lives here so maybe I should try again for dinner. read more

Have been eating here since 1989. It is the first place we go when we arrive at the beach. Lunch specials served from 11-4 Cost $6.25 Friendly staff. Hush puppies with honey butter can't be beat! Recommend the shrimp. August 2016. Price of lunch special now $7.25 but food just as awesome as ever. read more

I think if you were into fried seafood this place might not be that bad. If you don't want it fried, the only option is broiled, and they broil the absolute hell out of it. The fish we got was way over cooked. The oyster cocktail was just a bowl of raw oysters that looked like they came out of a can. Just very disappointing. read more

walked in and felt very welcomed by the staff. my server was allissa and she was very sweet and always had a smile on her face she did not make me feel rushed like alot of places do these days food came out quick and was good will be coming back and recommend. read more

Worse flounder sandwich I had in my life. I sat down ordered and left in 20 minutes. That wasn't fresh it was old and half of very thin dry fish was black and hard. No lettuce tomato, awful!!!! read more

I took my family of four here and had a decent meal. I was looking forward to fresh seafood and was served about 30 popcorn shrimp that looked like they were bought frozen. For 18.99 and at an ocean front type of place, our expectations were much higher. The flounder was okay, the fries were great and the hushpuppies sure hit the spot while waiting. The waitress was lovely! read more

Capt. Nance's has been in business 40+ years. It appears they've been using the same oil for deep-frying since the beginning. Lunch of fried oysters & scallops was heavy, greasy and all-around disappointing. Service was good but I couldn't help but notice that the wait staff was all white and the busing staff was all young African American men. The view of the Calabash River was pleasant which made the drink service with plastic straws distressing considering how hard the local turtle patrols work to preserve the Loggerhead Turtles. I will not return to this establishment. read more

This is the best seafood I've ever had and it's such a great price! The lunch special was delicious! The clam strips and shrimp are great! The hush puppies are perfect! Can't wait to come back!! read more

See all

We stopped in Captain Nance's one evening after going on a dolphin cruise. I've been here before many many years ago and the food taste exactly the same. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, I guess if it's not broke don't fix it! I got the large pick 2 platter with popcorn shrimp and flounder. It was good and a good helping. The coleslaw wasn't horrible( I've had worse and I've had better). The hush puppies are delicious! Pricing was very reasonable for the amount of seafood we got! I feel like this is one of those places that you go to when you want seafood but aren't adventurous enough to go try something new. Service was great! read more

This has been a stand-by for our family at Calabash since we moved to South Carolina in 1994. The view is what keeps us coming back more than anything, but that having been stated, the food is always good. Their menu isn't as expansive as other places, but the Calabash basics are here: good, not greasy, fried seafood. Their hush puppies are great, and you'll not be disappointed in the shrimp, oysters, or flounder if you fancy Calabash style seafood. We obviously do! The ambiance is better at a couple of other Calabash locations, but the combination of good seafood, good service, and a great view have kept us returning here for nearly 25 years. Recommended!!! read more

Great local place with fresh seafood and waterfront views. Ask for William as your server. I am not kidding. Do it.

Food was all delicious except the shrimp. I've ordered both fried shrimp and cold boiled shrimp and neither were deveined. Maybe I'm picky but I find this quite appalling read more

Lunch hour was great food was about twice as hard as it was last time I was here good service however the waitress kind of rushed us at the end of our meal overall good place to go read more

My favorite restaurant for Calabash style fried shrimp. The waitress was friendly and attentive. The lunch specials are a great deal and just the right amount of food. read more

I had the deviled crab cakes. Just awful. All breading and no crab at all. I also had the fried shrimp. No flavor at all. I knew I was in trouble when they brought out the hush puppies. Bland with no taste. Hmmmm just like the shrimp and crab cakes. I swear everything is cooked in the same cooker! Everything tasted the same and it's just nasty. Thank God for my Michelob Ultra! Needed a second beer just to get the taste out of my mouth! read more

We haven't eaten here several times over the years and it never disappoints! Great food and service! Misty did a great job! I just don't understand some of these reviews - excellent food!!! read more

It was basically fine. Our server was great, the food came quickly, and the hush puppies were good. However, when we were walking in we saw a man unloading boxes of frozen seafood from a truck. The fried shrimp were fine. The fish was fine. But I can get 'just fine' shrimp and fish anywhere in the state and people had been talking up calabash style seafood all week. read more

Good seafood restaurant at an exceptional value. If it had been priced like most of the places I have been to at Myrtle Beach I would have given three stars but it's not and deserves a four star rating. As one of my fellow guests said "I enjoyed that meal more than any seafood restaurant since we have been here." Tired of paying for overpriced seafood meals, come here and be truly satisfied in your wallet as well as your pallet. read more

I can only speak for myself... the flounder platter was delicious. I will be back. We decided to dine here because the parking lot was almost full. We found out why as soon as our food arrived. read more

Captain Nance's - Seafood Near Me - Calabash, North Carolina

See all

Great spot on the water for Calabash style shrimp. Very nice place to chill. Little escape from Myrtle Beach. read more

Captain Nance's - Back Deck View - Seafood Near Me - Calabash, North Carolina

Fried and greasy, but relatively cheap. Hush puppies as an appetizer was definitely the highlight of the meal. I had a combo of fried shrimp, fried scallops and a crab cake. The crab cake had way too much breading and was burnt on the outside. The fried shrimp tasted like the frozen shrimp I can get at home from the frozen food section. The scallops were very hit or miss; some were cooked perfectly and others were way too soft. I would recommend other options in the area. read more

I'm going to be bluntly honest, this place was terrible. We arrived around 625-630 finally received our food around 745 and left around 8 due to no one enjoying any of their food. I have never turned down peel and eat shrimp and will always finish my food anywhere I go, but the food was terrible. The shrimp was flavorless, the "blackened" "grouper"didn't taste like grouper at all. The service was atrocious as well, not a single you're welcome, friendly gesture, or any sort of good customer service from our waitress the entire time. 10/10 would not recommend we wasted $86 on a 2 adult and 1 child outing. read more

Absolutely fantastic food! Had fried oysters and scallops. Heard that you could get the scallops sautéed; will try it that way next time. My leftovers were even good cold. read more

Located on the waterfront in Calabash, just past the many places that claim to be the "original" Calabash style seafood house, Captain Nance's is a pretty good find. I stop by when in the area to golf or for bike week. It is located on the river with a good view of the fishing boats loading and unloading. Don't come here looking for anything fancy, broiled or particular healthy. But, if you're looking for good fried seafood this is the place. Service is quick and friendly. Most of the wait staff has been there forever. The hush puppies and honey spread are excellent. I generally go for the shrimp, scallop and oyster combo. The shrimp are decent sized, the scallops are cooked just right and the oysters are moist and fresh. To be fair, they do have a selection of steamed seafood but, nearly everyone goes for the fried food. Oh yeah, they don't have a liquor license so you'll have to settle for the sweet tea... read more

Everything here is fried, including your coke, so expect to pay more if you want to eat healthy. The food wasn't bad. Started off with some hush-puppies, that were very good. Shrimp is not local [ though you are lead to believe that ] it's shipped in from somewhere else. [ Typical of Corporate NC ] The fried fish wasn't bad, and I ate everything. Fries need some work as they came out soggy.... Not a 4 star restaurant, but not a 2 either. Reasonable as well. 4 people for $42 dollars. read more

Have always meant to go to Calabash for seafood; while in Ocean Isle we were close enough that we had no excuse not to go. Lillie was our server and I cannot remember ever having such a great waitress; anticipating our needs even before we asked (she kept the hush puppy basket refilled as well as our drinks). The seafood was some of the best I've ever had; the only problem was that it was so good that we all overdid it and ROLLED out the door when we were done (the shocks and springs on the car complained as well). If you've never had seafood in Calabash, go get some and get it from Captain Nance's! read more

Fresh shrimp from the docks. Almost everything on the menu was deep fried. We had a lot of crab (frozen). The shrimp were very small. The shrimp boats unload at 12:30. Our kids liked it. read more

I'm reluctant to give this place 3 stars since my extended family in NC loves this restaurant, yet I must do my yelp duty and speak of my own personal experience. First off, the location is amazing, right on the water surrounded by boats bringing in (and selling) freshly caught seafood. The staff were as nice as could be, albeit not the most attentive. We came in for lunch specials with 3 adults and 3 kids. Two of the kids decided they wanted crab legs instead so they ordered an entree to split. I ordered the popcorn shrimp and clam strips with fries. My fries tasted like they were fried 2 hours earlier and had been sitting under a heat lamp. My clam strips were overcooked to the point of extreme crispiness, which is a common mistake. My shrimp were lightly battered and fried to perfection. I wish I had more of them on the plate than the clam strips, but oh well. The crab legs came out luke warm and were clearly not fresh. It was extremely hard to extract an entire piece of meat from them, instead it broke off in little bits as the shells were cracked. We had to send a salad back because the waitress brought the wrong salad dressing mistaking blue cheese for ranch. It was in a side dish, but my 7 year old had already poured it on her salad before she discovered the error. The waitress also didn't bring out the fries that came with the crab leg dinner until we asked twice. This delay was particularly annoying because without a salad or fries, the kids were left with nothing to eat while my sister and I began cracking the crab legs. My Mom professed that the food is usually much better as this is her go-to spot for inexpensive seafood, but she agreed our meal that day was disappointing. read more

Captain Nance's - Lunch special shrimp and clam strips - Seafood Near Me - Calabash, North Carolina

We were here mid may, and while that was not in season we were still unimpressed with the service. It was not crowded and while we knew we were not going to get the freshest of seafood we did not expect it to taste like it came right out of the freezer. Had to chase down the waitress twice and send back one order that was wrong. The only thing that saved the day was getting ice cream from the hut next door. Not affiliated! Ps. This place is alcohol free so no adult beverages if that is ur thing. read more

The food was good. One small flounder and fried shrimp. One large flounder and cold boiled shrimp. Two teas. $55 bucks Without tip. The food wasn't THAT good. Outrageous. Server was Erica. She gets 5 stars. Great server. It was 445 when we got there. Two hostesses. One had a weave she couldn't stop running her hands over it. Even after she cleaned her hands she'd go to rubbing that hair again. When we came in she never looked up She was scribbling something. The other hostess took us to table. I guess if it's not the other ones turn she doesn't pay any attention to people coming in. I went to bathroom before leaving. Overflowing trash bin. No hand soap. Now The hostess stand is right by the ladies room. I'm gonna bet it's their responsibility to take care of it. The hair playing hostess entered the bathroom when I did. She wasn't using the toilet. It was obvious she wanted to go through her phone. As came out there were lots of people waiting in line. No hostess. The cash register lady seemed to have a very hard time cashing us out. She seemed out of it. That took about 5 minutes. Just to cash out. If my husband didn't want to go I would never go. He's been going for many years so I deal with it. Management needs to step up and see what the F these employees are up to. And no one in food service should be playing with hair in front of Customers. That's just nasty. read more

See all

This place is a has-been. There are way too many quality restaurants in the area to have to come here and endure this. We had a party of 6 and the food was below average. They do have a senior's plate that was reasonably priced but of low quality. Clams were too chewy, stuffed crab was dry and lacked flavor. The baked potatoes must have been yesterday's creation. Very nasty. Once finished, it took 15-20 minutes and we had to ask to have the table cleared. The checks were presented while all the dirty plates were still present. The view is very nice but go somewhere else. read more

Second time here and again it was great! Crab cakes are to die for and fried shrimp and oysters are outstanding! Beat coleslaw I have ever eaten! Wonderful view by the window. We drove all the way from Topsail to eat here! Restrooms clean and staff very courteous and friendly! read more

Captain Nance's - Nice relaxed atmosphere - Seafood Near Me - Calabash, North Carolina

See all

Only go if you like fried seafood because that's all they have. Don't order the oysters. They come pre shucked on lettuce. Would not recommend. Service was good. read more

This is the best restaurant in the Calabash!! My family and I are from Maryland and we love the Soft Shell crab sandwiches, the Fried Scallops are awesome and there are no words for those delicious Hush Puppies! Everything is delicious! Service is fast, friendly, and food is hot, and fresh. Love, love, love the Ice Tea! Everyone is very nice and friendly. You can't please everybody, but you can certainly please the majority. We give Captain Nance's 5 Stars! Nadine B read more

Very good from the service to the food. Had shrimp, flounder, broiled chicken, hush puppies. Good quality. Friendly. Attentive. Will definitely be coming back! read more

Great place to go for lunch, especially if you sit outside by Calabash River on a nice day. The hushpuppies are delicious, either dipped in the honey spread, or I like mine with cocktail sauce. We live right around the corner in Sunset Beach but have never been to this place. We had some family down from Raleigh, Charlotte and Greensboro for Memorial weekend. So, we decided to finally give this place a try. I got the lunch combination with fried popcorn shrimp, fish and fries. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal, as did everyone else. Sure, it was fried, but, I like my seafood fried. Others got broiled fish and peel and eat shrimp and were happy. Our server was extremely friendly and willing to please. We got seated and served fairly quickly. Wasn't too fast, but, then again, when you're sitting by the Calabash River on a beautiful day with family, you don't want to rush time together. We were all born and raised in the south so we love to take our time and enjoy. If you're looking for a 5 star restaurant with 5 star ambiance then this isn't your place. If you're looking for pretty decent food with a great peaceful and relaxing view, then come here! read more