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.

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.

Savanna our watress was outstanding and very kind and courteous and very attentive to our needs.read more

First time in town, we stopped into JM's on the Water for dinner. Compared to other beach town…read morespots, it was fairly average overall. The staff was semi-welcoming, though it seemed like they were a bit overwhelmed during our visit. I ordered the crab cakes, and they did have good flavor, but they were very shell-heavy and a bit bready, which took away from the overall texture. The food was okay for the price point, but nothing particularly stood out or felt memorable. The highlight of the experience was definitely the drinks, which were great and fairly priced. It's worth checking out if you're in the area, but not necessarily a place I'd go out of my way for. Solid 3/5.

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.

This fish market is incredible! We've stopped by everyday to pick-up dinner. The fish is FRESH, not…read morefrozen. Local fisherman drop off their daily catch and much comes from Florida and along the coast. So far, I've tried the local lump crab (made incredible crab cakes), the large head-on shrimp, (shrimp scampi-yum), clams (made a stew) and the flounder (so dang fresh). I'll be going back for more today. They carry every fish you can imagine and live crabs. The fish is in coolers and they will fillet the larger fish for you. Prices are downright reasonable. The clerks are super friendly and will bag up your purchases with plenty of ice. They also carry seasonings and a few frozen prepared fish foods. There was plenty of parking during off season and no wait for service. I'm guessing that during peak season, things get busy. This market is a MUST visit for seafood lovers.

Just what you'd expect from a fresh seafood store at the beach plus some. A wonderful variety of…read morefresh seafood, fresh crab meat and plenty of other items from seasonings to fresh produce. The team there is super friendly and knowledgeable and we're eager to help. Prices also were very reasonable. It really is the type of local place you'd hope to find on a vacation and thoroughly enjoyed the shrimp!

The place was empty at 8:15 on a Tuesday night. The environment is very nice & clean inside. This…read moreplace has lots of potential. The server knowledge is lacking if you care about details...& the menu is gutted and has leftovers from last year (there are several blank pages of things they don't offer anymore, everything offered still is in the pics)...& prices are quite a bit more than the menus posted here. For example, oysters are only one type and are $3 per oyster instead of $26 per dozen as the Yelp pics show. They know where they bought oysters, but not where they came from. The crab dip was good, but seemed to have a tuna hint to it. The server was hovering the whole time, but that may have been because we were the only people in the place and they were ready to shut the kitchen down.

We rated this a 3.5. I would highly suggest the Scallops! Cooked perfectly and had a great flavor…read morepairing. Service was great! Hosts are pleasant and friendly. Our server was Dallas and he was on point, respectful and friendly as well. The restaurant is spacious with lots of seating. As this was our first time to the area, we will most likely try somewhere else in the future, but wouldn't be opposed to giving this another try.

This was a nice little restaurant, but be prepared to be here for a long time. After a 45 min wait…read moreto get a table which was fine for a Saturday, we were in there for another hour and a half. There were only a few other tables, but the food took forever. Once it did arrive, it was pretty good. All the appetizers and food were flavorful. I recommend the hush puppies, shrimp, and sweet potato fries. They were all great. Overall, besides the long waits, this place has decent food. Just don't be expecting to get in and out quickly.

My husband and I arrived around 2:45 PM. The hostess was super nice and told us it would be about 5…read moreminutes for a table, so we decided to sit at the bar while we waited and ordered two drinks. The bartender finally took our food order about 20 minutes later. The two drinks were over $25, despite us not ordering top-shelf and getting very little alcohol in either one. When we were asked if we wanted another round, I declined and asked for water instead. Another 30 minutes went by with no food and, more importantly, still no water. We eventually asked the hostess if we could sit at one of the three empty tables. We then waited another 15 minutes for our appetizer and approximately 20 more minutes for our meal. We finished eating and still hadn't been checked on. We never received the water I had requested. I eventually had to get up and go to the bar myself to get it. The bartender then brought us the check, and I mentioned that I was still waiting for the water. By this point, we were extremely frustrated. Not once during our meal did anyone check on us. The only time someone came back to the table was to take payment and clear the dishes--we were already finished and didn't need anything by then. We ended up spending 1 hour and 55 minutes there for two people sharing an appetizer and a steam pot. That's a ridiculous amount of time for that amount of food, especially considering how much of that time was spent waiting for someone to take our order, bring water, bring our food, or simply check on us. The food was good, but the service was some of the worst we've experienced. We place a huge value on good service, and when you can't even get a glass of water or have someone check on you during your entire meal, it really takes away from the experience. Great food doesn't make up for nearly two hours of waiting and virtually no service.

Had the best time at JM's! The music being played is excellent and the bartender, Brittany, was…read moreawesome!!! Brittany engaged with me with zero judgement and even told me I remind her of her aunt! That was very endearing! I also met the owner, Mike, who was very sweet. There are pool tables and dart boards and all the local regulars!! I'll be back!! Watch out Brittany, pour my drink, please!!

I got shrimp and red snapper from here to cook for dinner. The shrimp was phenomenal. The red…read moresnapper was good. I'm a fan of small local fish markets, and this one fits the bill. When you walk in, it doesn't exactly scream "fish market" - as it took me a few minutes to even find the fish. The staff there that day (one person) was friendly, but when asked for suggestions of what was good "everything." The owner of the bar (of the same name) next door came by to hard sell his place. He wasn't wearing a mask, and I tried to interject that I wouldn't be coming by because my kid is too young to eat out around people - but he really didn't catch on. Sigh. I went on to get the shrimp and the red snapper. I paused trying to do the math on how much. The friendly bar owner then insisted I wasn't getting enough for "that many people" - and I should double it. I don't exactly know why I listened to him (I think I was just ready to go) - so I bought what he said. After a rather hefty bill. Getting home, I pulled out the fish and it was 2x what I needed. Sure enough, we had left overs. I don't know if you've ever microwaved left over red snapper - I don't recommend it. So - the interloper from next door brought down the score, but the shrimp was so good I can't imagine going less than 4 stars.

the food was very fresh, we had many choices, it was the perfect amount for our crowd, and so easy…read moreto prepare. The owner was very helpful and nice to interact with. it made for a wonderful final dinner for our beach vacation. they even included the brown paper to eat it on.

Food is great. Prepackaged seafood in ready to cook aluminum steam bucket. Seasoning "Jimmys" is…read morebest ever tasted. Recipe provided seems to have been tested. Comes out great.

My family ate here last Friday for dinner. We had our dog, so we sat on the spacious patio. We had…read moreawesome service and all our different food choices were delicious! We will always come back to Cowfin Bar and Grill from now on when we vacation here. This is our 6th year on Topsail.

The space is clean, has plenty of selections for burgers and other items. Drinks are yummy and…read morereasonably priced. I've never gotten a server here that wasn't a 10/10. Come here if you like good burgers. Get the peanut butter burger if you like peanut butter, you won't regret it!