Omgggg this place eats up bro. We come down to topsail multiple times a year and this is a…read moretradition for us:). It never misses here and don't get me started on the ice cream ps(it's a chefs kiss). They're always quick to get you seated and they come go check a lot. They have a lot of cool decorations like we are in the 1970s or 80 idk bro I'm a Gen Z.

Very cute, little, diner by the beach! Staff was friendly and decor was fun…read more Food choices are somewhat limited but taste good. We had a cheeseburger, chicken salad pita, chicken tenders, cheese sticks, and fries. Milkshakes were also good. Unfortunately one of the jukeboxes wasn't working.

Great place for breakfast or lunch. The place is clean and vibrant. The service is excellent and…read morefriendly. Burgers are delicious. Prices are reasonable.

This is a great spot!! Service is friendly and pretty quick, the 90s vibe is soooo fun, and the…read morefood is amazing. So far I've tried one of the sandwiches and mac&cheese and I was not disappointed. I would only suggest they put a little red wine vinegar on the turkey sandwich. Their ciabatta bread is also AMAZING. Absolutely will be back.

New York Corner Deli was our breakfast place when we stayed at Topsail Beach in the summer of 2022,…read moreand at Surf City in the summers of 2025 and 2026. Conveniently located in the center of Topsail Island, it was a 15-minute drive from our 2022 Airbnb stay. With next two stays at Saltwater Suites in 2025, the drive was less than 5 minutes. In the three stays, we had breakfast here six times. It had everything we wanted. My son and I are sticklers for routine. In the first four visits, we ordered the same thing: 2 scrambled eggs with toast & home fries for me, and pancakes for him. Orders were placed at the counter. Then we went upstairs to the dining area and waited for the orders to be served. There were no issues with the order, food or service during these visits. In both 2022 visits, I had coffee; in both 2025 visits, I had Mountain Dew. Refills are free for both coffee and soda. My order tasted better than a similar one I had at Tick Tock Diner in New York City. It was great value for money. I always felt that I ate enough to last me through lunch. There was no reason to try anything different. Unlike Tick Tock Diner, NY Corner Deli did not have any TVs in the dining area. I appreciated this as we go to the beach to get away from the world. Furthermore, there weren't many people in the dining area whenever we were here (before 9am). Can't speak for the dining experience at any other time of the day. Things were slightly different when we visited in 2026. Pancakes were not available, so son had french toasts in both visits. In the first visit, I ordered my usual; in the second visit, I tried something different and ordered western omelet (with toast & home fries). Don't let the photo fool you. The western omelet was bigger than it looked. "Hearty" is an understatement. It was so filling that I skipped lunch and had a light dinner. Mountain Dew was no longer available as the establishment defected to Coca-Cola, so I had Coke Classic both times. If you like a decent breakfast and a quiet atmosphere, New York Corner Deli is the place to be. It will continue to be our breakfast place whenever we are in the Topsail / Surf City area.

Welcome to the NY Corner Deli, a bizarre, whiplash-inducing cafe located just a seashell's throw…read morefrom the ocean that is trying hard to mimic a gritty Manhattan bodega, despite the fact that you can literally smell coconut sunscreen from the front door. The walls are covered in black-and-white prints of the Brooklyn Bridge, sepia-toned yellow cabs, and metal street signs screaming Broadway and 5th Ave. The seating is divided into two thrillingly average, non-beachy options: Upstairs or Downstairs. Both levels feature the exact same standard-issue, wobbly metal diner chairs, with vinyl tables upstairs. The menu is an everything menu, nothing specific, no specialties, consider this a one stop shop for anytime of the day. It serves up a breakfast that is heavy, completely unpretentious, and designed to fill you to the brim. Like the rest of the menu, it doesn't aim for culinary innovation; it aims for maximum density and they are open when everyone else is closed. By the time you scrape the plate clean, you are utterly, heavily full and ready to take on the day. Cheers!

Went back again and had the same meal, with one wonderful addition. The shrimps were smaller this…read moretime, but still very flavorful. Their Hummingbird Sauce, a version of tartar sauce with capers instead of relish was delicious. However, the real show stopper was the Key Lime Pie!! It was an excellent combination of creamy, sweet, tart, smooth, bright, and rich. ANDDD it was topped with a sumptuously rich and creamy ice cream that was so light, yet flavor packed, I would order them both separately. What a treat that they came together!! It is 100% worth it!! Please do not leave without getting the key lime pie!! Favorite bite of the night!! Meal combo: 3.5/5; Key lime pie: 5/5

It was our last night on the Island and this restaurant ended up being our favorite in the area…read more From the beautiful seating to the incredible service, we really enjoyed ourselves and the wait wasn't too long. We called to see about a reservation and they didn't take them but we arrived between 4-5 and did not have too much of a wait. Just enough time to rock on the porch and take photos. The food was primarily fried so it was fast service and the drinks were great! We'd recommend bopping over the bridge if you are visiting Topsail.

Dude, we love Smoky Tony's! The food is always great and well-priced, the service is warm and…read morefriendly, and don't even get me started on the cheesecakes! Worth every single calorie. Tuesdays and Thursdays are fun; they do trivia and music bingo. Always a good time!

It's time they update their website and clear out some of the old photos. I specifically came…read morebecause they had a lot of pictures of spare ribs and beef ribs. They no longer serve either one. Perhaps after COVID and the very high prices of beef these days but the menu is really pared down. But here are the highlights. The baby back ribs are meaty and moist with a little too much dry rub (for my tastes). There is a wide selection of sauces, but they are not typical, dinner, and lighter than most BBQ and smokehouse restaurants. The flavors were not canned; they were very authentic and clearly original. The owner seems to work hard to be authentically original. The other thing we tried was the burger because the waitress nearly drooled telling us about it, and several people asked us if we were going to try the burger. The burger was not some skinny smash burger or a pretender frozen patty. This was a handmade, very thick, and juicy burger with tons of flavor. My wife ordered the burger, and it was huge (see my pictures). I might try the burger the next time. We also had Mac and cheese (good, not amazing), collard greens (amazing, not just good), and my wife had fries that reminded us of Five Guys. There was a ton of fries, and they were tasty. We both ate them because there was enough to share. I ordered the full rack of baby back ribs. Some BBQ places seem to be cheating somehow; a full rack has gotten both smaller and less meaty, and I have no problem finishing a full rack at most places, but Tony's was a real full rack! This rack was so meaty that I ended up taking half home, and it made a full meal the next night too! They talk up their banana pudding, but they were out. We split a cheesecake, and it was very good too. We had the plain one. A good cheesecake doesn't need to be drenched in pie filling if it's good. The staff was friendly and several people checked on us, but they were not pushy or intrusive. We did not try the brisket or pulled pork. I really wish they had beef ribs, even if it was only once a week, and the same for spare ribs, perhaps as a special. The prices were higher than we expected, more than we have paid for similar meals at other BBQ restaurants, but it seems all food, and especially meat, costs much more today.

Love love love!! The staff, the food. Beach ambiance, not fancy but the chicken salad is the best…read moreon the island!

Love to eat at this place when visiting my mom. It is a bit small, with some outside seating. Can…read moreget very busy during the summer months, especially lunch time. Can walk over from beach. I enjoy their chicken salad sandwich on toasted sourdough. Today I tried the chicken salad BLT sandwich. Very good. They have several side options. My mom had the Stump Sound Bowl. It is made up of cilantro-lime rice, black beans, corn, peppers, onions, cheddar, lettuce, tomatoes and chipotle sauce. You can add a meat. My mom gets it without cheese or the chipotle sauce. She always ends up taking half of it home. Staff is always friendly and food is good.

Stopped by on a Wednesday night around 5pm and man was it busy! The line was already out the door…read morewith a wait. We sat outside and got a beautiful view with the beach and the pier. For appetizers we got the crab dip and the calamari. I loved the calamari, the crab dip was good but we definitely needed just a few more chips. They bring out bread which is nice as well. For my main I got the salmon, it was delicious! I did the Tuscan garlic butter on top which I really liked. My sides of vegetables and a baked potato were good as well. Our server was so sweet, we loved her. Unfortunately we're giving a 4/5 because we asked the hostess if she could move us to an open table out of the direct sunlight and she states she would check and be right back. Well, we never saw her again. The table was open for a while before another party was sat so I assume she just didn't want to move us. Overall, we still had a great dinner and would come back again to try other food options as we enjoyed what we got. Definitely try this place out!

Oh my gosh!!!! What a disappointment . My bad though for…read moreexpecting this east coast establishment to actually have locally sourced seafood. We came here on a recommendation and for the raving reviews. I think my clue should have been when I saw more pictures of the awesome views from the deck vs the food. Don't get me wrong, if you want a cool hang out spot with awesome views and attentive waiters, this is your place. We ordered the crab dip and calamari to start. First, the dip was nothing more than glorified cream cheese with no specified flavors and no crab that we could discern. The calamari, flavorless with only the tart sauce to make it palatable. I chose not to order any of their specialty fish dishes after the waiter stated that none were local and all farmed fish . My husband ordered the lobster and shrimp pasta and I thought we would share. Again, another sad flavorless dish. The sauce was not spicy as indicated on the menu but rather a poor excuse for marinara. The shrimp, rubbery and I can't speak for the lobster because it was quite small and my husband ate it before I could try it. He did comment it was flavorless. We also ordered a couple of their virgin drinks which we found unbalanced in their flavor layering. Over all, this meal was not worth the 100 we spent to include the tip. To add insult to injury, it wasn't the unavoidable rain that fell on the deck that made this experience indigestible but the amount of times the wait staff kept coming over to our table and the one next to us asking if everything was perfect. We were polite, tipped, and said everything was good but on the inside, our stomachs were churching with this would be meal. Again, I put the onus on me for not checking beforehand and assuming that because many of these towns were fishing towns, there would be local catch dishes. My apologies beforehand to the owners of this establishment. Clearly for them something's being done right if they have their repeat clientele. Kudos. I will say that the place did have a wait line as stated and it was lively and full when we left. The menu; sadly needs revamping or better chefs.

We've lived in the area for about 6 years. Eat out fairly often. This restaurant by far has been…read morethe most consistent in the quality of the food, which is the best of all the restaurants in the topsail area. It is not fine dining and has the sports bar vibe. It is a relatively small place and I recommend going on non peak hours in season. If you are into oysters, they have a great selection of both local and regional on the half shell. If you prefer cooked, chargrilled or steamed is a good choice. While the menu has a great selection of seafood, the chalkboard specials features extremely fresh local catches which change daily. While there are several restaurants in and around the topsail area this is the only one where I have never been disappointed. If you go at peak hours during the vacation season expect to wait but it is worth it. You can't miss with any of the steamed shellfish offerings and if you prefer fried there batter is light and not overpowering. As a sports bar, they have a large selection of tap and bottled beers and a good mixology of liquor options which is only outdone in my opinion by Rick's in Sneads Ferry

Great place for oysters. You can buy them individually which is great if you eat more than a dozen…read more I normally get 15-18 oysters when I go. They are delicious and the service is top notch. It' is a little hot in there, so dress cool. I go weekly to this restaurant and highly recommend.

My SO and I dined at Surf City BBQ one weekday evening during our family vacation. We enjoyed an…read moreexcellent experience, from delicious food to outstanding customer service. Surf City is a Carolina BBQ joint but serves up other southern staples like fried fish and chicken. Unfortunately, I must share that due to hardships, the restaurant is closing on September 30, 2026. AMBIANCE Country vintage is the theme and it's quite homey. Dining at grandma's house. SERVICE Kristine or Kris was our servers name (hopefully I got the spelling right). She was incredible. When I say she was attentive and so down to earth, it truly made our experience wonderful. We felt so welcomed to come in and enjoy some good southern food.. FOOD I really wanted to order a seafood platter but unfortunately they were out of fried catfish and flounder so I pivoted to a different entree. - Complimentary hush puppy sticks with cool ranch: they were good. Subtly sweet, but the cool ranch balanced everything out. - Half rack of ribs: this was the entree I switched to. The pork ribs were huge, tender, and tasty. They fell right off the bone, and I really appreciated the firmness of the tendon while I cleaned my bones. I had two sides, yams and cole slaw. I enjoyed the yams more because they weren't overly sweet, and the chef really allowed the yams' natural flavors to shine. The cole slaw was tasty but nothing special. I prefer my slaw more chopped rather than big pieces. The vinegary Carolina BBQ sauce at the table was excellent. - Eggroll BBQ Pork: my SO ordered this special entree, and it was really good. Imagine a big, crispy eggroll filled with moist, tender shredded BBQ pork. It came with a really good dipping sauce, which was a mix of honey mustard and BBQ sauce. The two sides I chose were fried okra and Brunswick stew. Both were fresh and delicious. Since they're closing, the owners are selling decor and other items from the restaurant. I purchased a lovely replica of a pay phone from the late 1920s or early 1930s to take home. Additionally, the cashier was very friendly and helpful. If you've enjoyed the food here, please go support them a few more times before they close their doors. Or simply, browse and shop for some cute decor for your home.

This local spot makes great Carolina BBQ Service is always…read moregreat wait staff is attentive Still one of the best deals for homemade food in Surf City

Saw this right beside the pizza place we ate at the other day, and the menu had something for…read moreeveryone. Pretty typical sports bar. TVs, somewhat elevated bar food. Sweetie got crab dip and though it tasted good she wasn't thrilled with the texture (too finely minced?) But that was the only misstep. Shared spinach artichoke dip with my cousin, both liked it. Also shared an order of fried fish- again liked it. Good, tender fish, with a thin crispy batter nicely seasoned. Another cousin got a bowl of fisherman's chowder, as did I, and we both really liked it. Chock full of seafood. Her husband got a Philly cheesesteak and said it was excellent. Kid K got tenders and fries, all good. Plus a side Caesar salad which she liked (and I finished, again good.) And we got some cheese sticks, also good reviews all around. Service was great. Prices were decent. Mixed drinks and beers were good. It's handy- and open in the off season. With limited options, it's nice to find good ones. I'd come back.

Order 12 mixed flavors homemade hot and garlic parmesan. Came stuffed together. Save was good for…read morethe GP not over powering but lacking in flavor. The homemade hot was okay, for sure could have spiced it up for hot. No need for any dipping sauce if you want to taste the flavor. They have a cotton candy flavor will try next time.