We had a really disappointing experience here tonight. We put our name in at 7:00 PM for a party of 6 and were told the wait would be about 45 minutes. That would've been fine -- but we ended up waiting an hour and 20 minutes with absolutely no updates or communication from staff. No check-ins, no revised estimate, nothing. By the time we were finally seated, we were starving and ready to order immediately. We came specifically for the crab legs, and as soon as my sister ordered them, our waiter casually mentioned he "thought" they might be out. He went to check... and confirmed they were completely out. To make it worse, the table next to us -- who checked in after us and were seated before us -- had just gotten the last of the crab legs. So after waiting far longer than promised, with zero communication, the one thing we came for wasn't even available. And the cherry on top was the fact that our waiter kept forgetting about us and we had to wait so long for the check. That's not just frustrating -- it's poor management. If you're running out of a key menu item, especially something as central as crab legs, that needs to be communicated to waiting guests. And seating later arrivals before earlier ones just adds insult to injury. We left extremely disappointed and won't be coming back. read more

I've seen Crab Pot from the road and wondered about it. The friend I was with had been and said it was good. We got hushpuppies and crab balls to start. Holy material! The crab balls were amazing. Get a crab cake or crab balls at this joint. Hushpuppies were good too. I got the oyster Po Boy. It was chocked full of oysters! Slaw was good and on the sweeter side. Beachy vibe and atmosphere for sure. They have inside dining, outside dining and in the bar music and a definite good time. The service was... ok. It was 8 when we got there and the kitchen evidently closes at 9. I felt like we were putting our server out a bit. But... maybe they were having a bad day. It happens. I definitely recommend going without a doubt read more

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Really disappointing experience overall. We waited a long time for our food, and when it finally came, it wasn't good at all. The service felt unorganized too--the server had to come back multiple times, which made everything seem chaotic. Definitely not worth the wait. Plus we were there for an hour and half. read more

I almost walked away from this place based on reviews alone and boy and I glad I didn't. My husband and I came in for lunch and were immediately greeted by Calvin who was very friendly and explained the menu to us. After looking it over and reading through the reviews to see what the bigger complaints were we decided to give it a try. We were seated immediately and Calvin brought us waters and a yummy blue Hawaiian for me. For lunch we ordered the hushpuppies, a salad, a pound of shrimp with sausage added, and two clusters of snow crab. Everything was beyond delicious and perfect. The crab was excellent and cooked to perfection! It literally slid out of the shell which is exactly what it should do. We eagerly gobbled it all down and left with very satisfied tummy's. Calvin and sarah did a great job touching and serving us during our visit. I highly recommend looking past the low reviews and stopping by to enjoy this gem for yourself. Plenty of parking outside AND if you want to cook a boil at home the store directly behind the crab pot sells the goodies to take it home and boil it up for yourself! read more

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As a California girl living in Philly, I had never tried hush puppies before... and wow, I had no idea what I was missing out on! The Crab Pot made me a fan for life. The food here is absolutely amazing--everything is so fresh, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned. From the seafood platters to the sides, every bite feels like true comfort food done right. The service is just as good as the food. The staff is warm, friendly, and attentive without ever making you feel rushed, which makes the whole experience even better. The atmosphere is fun and lively, and while the place is always packed (for obvious reasons!), it never feels stressful--it just adds to the energy and charm. If you're visiting, definitely come hungry because the portions are generous and you won't want to miss trying a bit of everything. Between the food, the vibe, and the great service, it's no surprise The Crab Pot is such a local favorite. I'm already counting down until my next visit! read more

We decided to have dinner here and ordered the blackened flounder with fries and coleslaw. The fries were alright with sauce, and both the coleslaw and flounder were decent. However, the restaurant itself felt very outdated and really needed a deep cleaning. There was a noticeable layer of dust on the ceiling fans, and our table was sticky, which wasn't very inviting. While the service was okay, I can't say I'd recommend this place and probably won't be coming back. read more

Crab Pot - Blackened flounder with fries and coleslaw - Seafood Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

This spot became a favorite for us during our 4-week stay on Topsail Island. They have a bartender named Calvin who is so engaging and awesome, he alone makes the visit worth it. But I digress, awesome drinks poured, great mahi tacos with a side of some of the best green beans I've ever had. Also had peel-and-eat shrimp and steamed oysters with Calvin giving great direction on how to "dress" the oyster before eating. A dive bar with lots of character. Highly recommend this spot. Don't miss! read more

Best flounder and mussels hands down! Our family has been coming here more than 20 years and it never disappoints. We absolutely love this place! read more

I will start off by saying the food is pretty good. Could use a little flavor added though. I ordered mine with old bay, garlic butter and Cajun. I got charged for it all but didn't have any seasoning in the bag at all. This place is a rip off the owners are straight up thieves. You think oh 26.50 for a pounds of crab that's not too bad and then they walk out with the biggest sorry of an excuse pound of crab in the shape of barely one cluster. I asked the waitress if one cluster was really one pound there because I've never been to a place where you didn't get 2-3 clusters for a pound. And she did assure me that every cluster is weight before being served. So then I think ok, it should be fine I can fill up on the corn and potatoes that I'm paying 8 dollars for. Then boom you open the bag to an huge wopping pile of two small potatoes and two half corns that were like rubber. Waitress was rude. The food was good but dang what an absolute rip off and tourist trap. If you like over paying for pretty good small amounts of food this is the place to go. I was really looking forward to this place and left very disappointed that I now had to live in poverty after one small but decent tasting meal. Bar tender was nice though. read more

I don't know how this place is rated so low. Get a boil and some hushpuppies, how is that a difficult concept? It's the cheapest place for a boil in like a 50 mile radius and it's delicious read more

I like the old feel of the place. They have good bands there and the staff is awesome. Just DON'T get the crabcakes. Never been to a place where you actually have to fight to get the steamed oysters open. I can't comment on the other food. I will come back for the bar and the bands. read more

Flashing Red Light Alert! Flashing Red Light Alert! This place is a tourist trap! We ate here the other night and we got some of the best service anywhere! As for the food.... It's one giant grease pot! We ordered hush puppies - over fried and greasy Grouper sandwich special - tasteless Fish & chips - greasy On an evening where the outdoor temperature was over 80 the place had no air conditioning. The seats and tables - cobbled together from 2x4's and ridiculously uncomfortable. The décor is beachy, I guess, but its really a "ramshackle beachy" - if you like that kind of thing. Of all the places we have visited during our stay in NC - this place like many others in Surf City and Topsail Beach are not for foodies. This part of the state has some of the worst food you will find anywhere. Take a ride to Wilmington or Jacksonville and you will definitely find waaaayyyyy better food. As for this place - One and Done! read more

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Opening night of 2025 was a busy one but worth it when we finally got to sit down and enjoy our crab legs. They had live music which made it an awesome time. read more

One of our favorite spots in Surf City. We love the people, the food and the casual laid back atmosphere. They bring in the best local bands and their prices are right. read more

Went there the other day sat at the bar. Bartender judged us immediately didn't give us anything that we needed. Had to constantly ask for everything with our order. Ordered a pound of crab legs and received one cluster. What is a half a pound? Which is insane for the price. While we were sitting there bar regulars walked in and she gave them everything for their food and ignored us. Still tipped 30% because we both are in service industry but will never be back. read more

I really wanted this to be the cool dive bar coastal seafood experience with excellent food. It's got the bones, but unfortunately it left a lot to be desired. It took quite some time for a simple menu. On top of that, food was not fresh, and service members seemed annoyed that you were there to begin with. Overall left confused on what we experienced and wish them best of luck moving forward. read more

Perfect beach meal! Tasty seafood, great service (made sure we all had all the supplies and sauces we needed), and fun drinks! Next time, we will skip the oysters and add extra crab legs because they were delicious! read more

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I wanted to place a to go order and was told to wait at the bar. I waited and waited until a server finally came and said that they didn't take to go orders after 5. She mentioned that her previous order was $300 and she was too busy to take mine. read more

The food here is amazing. Service is great. Turns out if you are nice to people, they will be nice to you. Girlfriend and I always split our meals and they don't skip on the portions. If you love scallops. Best I've ever had were here. Sit out side and enjoy some salty wind. read more

Crab Pot - Food. - Seafood Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

I regret not looking at the reviews before I went. I just lost $56 on 3 burnt pieces of fish with no flavor. Hands down the worst place I have eaten any food. I can't believe they serve that food. Please stay away from this place. read more

We had a wonderful experience at the Crab Pot Monday for dinner!! The staff were so friendly and seated us immediately. Our waitress Cami was very helpful and attentive providing us with excellent service. She and other staff assisted us in opening some stubborn steamed oysters. We also enjoyed the steamed mussels cooked in a garlicky butter sauce, with hush puppies and Caesar salad. The staff works as a team to ensure your experience is perfect!! Crab Pot is casual dining and sometimes has outside entertainment. They are open for lunch and dinner daily, food is reasonably priced and it's served hot and fresh!! For lunch try the catch of the day either grilled or fried in a sandwich, it's excellent!! read more

Crab Pot is located in Surf City right near Soundside Park. There's a parking lot out front and the restaurant features a bar with plenty of seating, and there's seaside decor and beachy vibes to match where it's at. The food was very mediocre. I got the soft shell crab and was disappointed by the portion size and it wasn't as fresh as advertised. Everything else was oily and either lacked flavor or frankly didn't taste good. TLDR: The only thing really going for it is the vibe and atmosphere of the place. This place was not great. read more

Crab Pot - Seafood Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

So we've been coming here for 3 years and we actually went twice this past week. First time we had Cody as a waiter and he was amazing in every single way. Food was the best we've ever had there and drinks were good and served quickly even refills. If you visit you have to try the shrimp crabby fries and hush puppies. They also have amazing salads. We went again later in the week and had the worst service waited over an hour for salad and appetizers and refills on drinks. They were steady but not slammed busy and even had empty tables. Took almost 30 min for 2 drinks from the bar. My husbands food was not even edible it was so cold. We had to keep flagging people down and never could find our waitress. She didn't come to check on us until she was told we had an issue. I really want to love this place but the service and food quilty is all over the place. After sitting on the deck and sitting inside the deck is definitely a better place to be. The tables inside are so crammed we didn't comfortably fit in them as a group of 4. read more

This restaurant is so good and the service is great. would highly recommend it ,try it your love it.

I was on a trip on Surf City a few days ago with a friend, after a fay of doing kayaking we were really hungry so he said his dad had been to this place so we gave it a try, the place didn't have A/C, we sat on the bar and the counter top was really sticky, service was slow, and food pricey for what you get, and it wasn't that good. Personally I didn't like this place but that's just my personal opinion. read more

Crab Pot - Clams, shrimp. - Seafood Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

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Oh my gosh what awful food! The "grilled" flounder was tasteless and was not grilled and the fish and chips were over cooked, tasteless and dry as a bone. The Mai 'Tais were awful too! read more

FYI: the patio is actually a deck and they won't seat if it's sprinkling outside. We didn't eat here-we called ahead to ensure they were dog friendly-they are-but left out that tidbit. read more

Terrible customer service ... just worked all day and drove 4 hours in Labor Day weekend traffic to get turned us away at 8:30 when it doesn't close until 10:00 . Had plenty of tables open and said kitchen was backed up. Terrible read more

First off let me say that the one star reviews are what led me to go to this place, usually people will complain instead of saying nice things. So we gave this joint a chance. The staff is very nice and attentive, they all work well together and help each other out when it's super busy. Now the food is amazing, we had the fired pickles and shrimp appetizers (YUM!) the soft shell crab sandwich was amazing and honestly was one of the best ones that I've had in the area (we're locals) she crab soup was very rich in flavor and amazing. Another member in our party tried the crabby patty burger and said it was great (burger was huge). Serving sizes are perfect, we were absolutely stuffed after dinner. Needless to say we will 110% be back. read more

Crab Pot - Soft shell crab sandwich and fried green tomatoes - Seafood Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

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We went twice because the food is so great! The staff are attentive and the location is a kitschy island vibe with the breeze of the sound coming through. No need to dress up and plenty of options for indoor, outdoor, or screened bar seating! read more

Definitely a jem. Reminds me of places I would eat at in my youth. If felt like a local spot that the tourists wouldn't know about. Loved the outdoor area. For lunch I had a crab cake sandwich, fist time in a long while that I could actually taste the crab in a crab cake. The waitress Sam was super nice and attentive. Can't wait to go back during the summer. read more

Don't listen to the bad reviews. Service was fantastic, drinks were yummy and the steamer pot for 2 was more food then we could eat. Had a really fun time. read more

Please update the online menu!! Read it for two days and when we got there, there was nothing the same as on line. Very disappointed!!

I absolutely love it here from their hamburgers to the crab legs!! Everything here is just yum yum.. the adult beverages was just as fun!! I absolutely recommend this restaurant to every one!! The staff there are very sociable and so fun and kind.. there is indoor and outdoor seating.. I prefer the sitting at the bar lol.. read more

Great food, great drinks, and best of all the Staff is super friendly! I highly recommend this restaurant!

Local dive vibes. Highly recommend the make your own steamer we had muscles, snow crab legs, shrimp and crawfish. I had never had crawfish and will never again. They were cute though. If you order the 64 oz margaritas you should split it with someone unless you want to look like a full blown alcoholic. Pro tip: you need to order at least 4 additional shots to add cause it's pretty weak- no points will be deducted for this bc presentation is . Overall yummy, fun, but v messy. Sparkle the mannequin was very welcoming, great listener. read more

Crab Pot - 1 pound each: Muscles, snow crabs, spicy shrimp, crawfish. Strawberry marg - Seafood Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

We chose this place because it had the shortest wait time of the seafood options in Surf City. We ended up waiting about 50 minutes, even though when we were seated there were several open tables. The ladies had gone to the bar when we were waiting and the bartender said the drinks would be added to the tab, but we had to remind the waitress of this as the bartender failed to remember to do so. It took us a LONG time to decipher the menu. It has a lot of combinations and ways of approaching things, and this took us a while. Plus, we wanted to try to eat local seafood, and basically everything is imported and most of it is fried. As a vegetarian, this wasn't a very friendly menu. When the food finally came out, it was all good - decent fried food - except the coleslaw that basically tasted rancid. I'm usually able to eat anything, but I couldn't eat the coleslaw. Finally, we we were seated outside, which didn't have much of an ambience given the store across the street and all the fluorescent light signs. There was a jukebox that you could connect to with Bluetooth. This got passed between 3 tables over the course of our meal, and I wished the restaurant had just managed the music given the eclectic shifts. By the end of the meal, the credit card machine wasn't functioning properly. I would not go back here. read more

Howdy, I am a restaurant owner traveling on vacation trying all mom and pop establishments. Today was a first in my two week travels that I left a restaurant completely speechless because of how a staff treated customers. Your establishment was understaffed is your biggest problem. The staff that was there was trying their best. One waitress was handling the heat and guest with complete grace. The other waitress was disgruntled from the moment we walked in, I am sorry it's hot and you don't have AC but it should never be reflected on to the customer. Sam was completely unprofessional from the moment we interacted. I am not a soft soul, so someone speaking to me aggressively does not phase me but today was completely uncalled for and we won't come back. Sam needs to have some education on customer service and to not talk back to a customer for saying why did my salad take so long and come last. The rest of the table had almost finished their meal before she came out with the salad on a tray with the food for another table. All Sam needed to do was apologize for it taking so long. Everyone in this business knows a simple apology goes so far. To top it off she smarted off again while giving the food to the other table. I had to take a business call so I excused myself and the next thing I know Sam is following my family member out asking me not to ever bring her again. Absolutely uncalled for. She was giving Sam a tip of cash and wanted to explain how customers should be treated because our family member is also in the customer service business on your island and has access to thousands of tourist each season. Your business will not receive a positive word from any of us. read more

This place was cruising to a 5 star rating and it came to a screeching halt. It gets four based on strength of the food and ambiance alone. From the moment I pulled in I knew it would be great. For the most part it was. The place is the quintessential dive restaurant. The fish, scallops, shrimp, crab cakes and sides were excellent. Problem was the waitress disappeared half-way thru the meal and I had to flag down the hostess for boxes. A different waitress had to bring the bill. All very odd. I'd still go back, but it was just weird. Get there early and be ready to eat because you will get a lot of food. read more

Have been to Crab Pot several times and the food has never been the issue. Again the food was immaculate but the reason I'm leaving a review is the service. WOW!!! I dare you to be out of a drink or need anything for more than a minute. Calvin and the crew would stop by the table every time they passed just to make sure we didn't need anything. read more