Food was excellent…read more David was a great server Food came out quickly Great place to get something to eat, the restaurant is in a old house makes you comfortable

I really wanted to like this place, but it fell flat. The service staff were kind and attentive but…read moreI definitely felt rushed though the restaurant wasn't full. The menu looked great, but I was surprised that the only option for a fresh catch of the day was on top of a salad. There were several specialty dishes, but many at our table felt they were very under-seasoned. The jambalaya came out looking like soup and was very bland. The pasta dish was buttery but had zero salt. It was like the restaurant was trying to be finer dining but the execution was off. It was fine but not great. They only sell wine and beer. Three dessert options. Again, not a bad meal, but I was surprised at how good the ratings were given our table's food, so maybe we were there on an off night.

We listened to the many raves about the Grill and finally decided to check it out. The raves…read moreweren't wrong. We went there on St. Patrick's Day and had one of the best Reubens ever, along with absolutely the best fries ever. It is such a pretty restaurant and when you walk in and see the water and the boats you totally relax. It's like you're on vacation. Our server Christie, was so, so nice, and didn't blink an eye when I changed my drink. We are looking forward to going back there for dinner. The people at the bar were raving about the shrimp. We gotta try that next time.

***This is a review for Saltwater's seasonal Thanksgiving buffet, open to reservations only***…read more Oh, Saltwater Grill... where do I begin? Let's begin with the gravy, or lack there of. It's Thanksgiving. Unless the chef has UNWAVERING, super-heroic confidence the turkey is going to be ultra-moist, gravy needs to be on standby. Even IF the turkey is perfect, what about the mashed potatoes? The dressing? Gravy is the cohesiveness that brings it all together, the savior lifeblood of the holiday dinner plate. (FYI, the turkey needed said gravy.) Let's check in with the alternate entree offerings: chicken & dumplings or shrimp & grits. They're lucrative ideas for options other than turkey & ham. But... the execution was lacking. The chicken & dumplings had a cloying, sweetish flavor. I couldn't put my finger on it; maybe I was getting undertones of nutmeg & allspice in my bites. It was, um, unique (to be polite). The shrimp & grits. Bless it, I just don't know what to say. The grits be gritting, not creamy & smooth like they should be for this dish. The shrimp swimming in the sauce in the adjacent pan struck me as the tiny salad shrimp most of us have seen before. Speaking of the 'sauce': This wasn't a thoughtful carrier vehicle for ANY type of shrimp, great or small. It seemed to be a thinned out mornay with no thought or attempt at flavor. Ah, wait. There is always dessert batting last to save the day! It's the last thing that touches your palate, erasing all vestiges of earlier misgivings. Except... NO pumpkin pie or variation thereof. NO pecan pie or attempted version. There was red velvet cake, flourless chocolate torte & a snickerdoodle'ish crumb cake available. The crumb cake would have to be my go to to close out this meal. For reserved, timed seatings of patrons the dining area was never overwhelmingly crowded. With that said, overall service was subpar. We never received beverage refills (everyone drinking water or tea, no difficult orders) & plates were cleared slowly. Well, that's that. We know to make better choices next year. However, you don't know what you don't know until you know. Now we know. p.s. - It's a good thing I have pumpkin pie stashed at home.

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

Whenever a restaurant puts "market price" next to an item, I'm worried. But Dear Wife and I were in…read morethe low country and we wanted a low country boil. So that's what we got. I could've asked the price upfront (and usually do) but what the heck... we're on vacation. The server suggested we get a "double" and share it. OK. Sounds good. It came out quick. There was a TON of food for two of us. Shrimp, sausage, potatoes, corn. It didn't have a lot of seasoning also on it, but - no problem - there was a rack with every hot sauce you'd ever need, plus salt, pepper and old bay. We both ate our fill and even left a few potatoes. The bill comes and it's less than $40. It might be the cheapest great meal I've had in a long time. Or maybe it's the "greatest cheap meal" I've had in a long time... I don't know. Bar ambiance, but pleasant enough for families. Mostly high tables. It all seemed very nice.

I'm gonna keep it nice and simple, Food tastes amazing, price is reasonable, chairs are…read morecomfortable, servers are nice. absolutely no complaints. also the tea is banging

Once again a fabulous dinner!!! I got the surf and turf with a baked potato and cucumber salad. It…read morewas a gorgeous plate and the steak was cooked perfectly!!! I asked for well done and it was!! BUT- it was not burned and tasted amazing!!! The potato was good, the shrimp was great and the salad was so tasty and vinegary. A great meal!!

Our experience tonight was excellent Hayden provided a…read moregreat smile and wonderful service. She had excellent attention to detail and a great attitude! The she crab soup was luscious, the oysters large and delicious, and one of the best baked flounder recipes I have ever tasted. We will be back soon!

Service , I have always loved this place, very consistent!!! It is always an upbeat atmosphere and…read morefood is always good, a place you don't mind taking guests!!!

Minimal display and options. Try cap'n Willis seafood market in Emerald Isle instead. They even…read morehave stuff for sushi and panko

Best fish market in the area. Fresh, quality and fair…read moreprices. Always friendly service

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.

Really fresh seafood & big selection of options (fresh& Frozen). Plenty of young men for quick…read moreservice. They offer customized steam pots for $100 that seems reasonable. We opted to purchase our own (shrimp, clams, mussels, snow crab, scallops, corn on cob, andouille sausage) to take back to condo & cook. Fresh caught fish (filets, whole, rounds) looked really good! Right on the water and offer ice to pack & take home. Our go to stop!

In my many trips to the AB area, I've driven by the old Mosquito often but it's always, always,…read morealways packed no matter the time of year. New plan for this trip. Step one should be the same for everyone. Get there when they open at 4:45 because damn does this place get busy quick even on weekdays. When I rolled into the parking lot at 4:40, I had probably 15-20 already at the door. Step two, if you get there at open, consider bar seating. Clam Chowder - Scalloped Scallops - Key Lime Pie I'll just keep it at this. Is anything I ordered going to reinvent the culinary wheel? No, and one could argue that the only negative here is that most everything is on the pricey side. But with that said, everything was extremely consistent, everything was brought out perfectly timed, my cup never runnethed (sure, it's a word) empty and the bar staff are all excellent conversationalists. Also one big upside, the ambiance. The bar area is kept dark as it should be in any bar type situation and the music selection was mostly a fantastic mix of classic R&B and Blues. Can't tell you the last time I enjoyed seafood while listening to John Lee Hooker (well, I can and it would be never which is why my mind was sort of blown). Groaney, groan, groan on some of the pricing but the overall situation here is worth the five stars. I get the hype and I get why it's always busy. Also, kudos to the owner who was up front and making sure to thank every single person that walked by/out the door. Very classy.

Can't go wrong here. We enjoyed the drinks, food, etc. We ordered 2 things that they came later and…read moresaid they were out which was disappointing. Settled on the fried pickles instead of buzz-buzz shrimp they were out of. They were good and the sauce was awesome. I had the mixed seafood grill which was excellent. Service was very friendly, etc. We will be back when we come visit our son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren.

The food was very fresh and you could taste that. It's been a very long time since my tastebuds…read morehave done their seafood dance! The flavors were on point and seasoned. When there is malt vinegar, ketchup, salt, pepper, hot sauce, and the paper towels on a Roll, held down by a fishing weight---yup, I've found my people! Service was amazing! Fast, all questions were answered, and suggestions were given! This place was booming and the ambience gives, "where you can find me after work", daily for great food and drinks! The locals know good food and I was excited to join them today! Can't wait to try other items in the menu!

This place is phenomenal. It deserves every bit of hype, if there is a line wait in it…read more A seafood place next door, Flipperz, serves frozen farm raised product from [insert random Asian country]. It was empty on a Saturday while Fish Hut had a line through the parking lot. In a coastal area people know good seafood. I highly recommend this place.

Popped in for lunch on a Tuesday because I had seen some reviews. This definitely lived up to…read moreexpectations! I had the Mac Daddy which is a soft shell crab, shrimp and crab cake sandwich. Not sure if they offer it grilled vs fried but fried was delicious. And a reasonable price for this amount of seafood. Also had the crab tots, those are not to be missed. The sauce included with the crab tots was amazing as well. Excellent coleslaw & sweet tea too! The person who took my order and the gentleman who delivered it to the table were both extremely nice, and the food came out quickly. The restaurant itself isn't fancy, but it's what you would expect for a quality fresh seafood establishment with a seafood market next door. Plenty of tables spaced well apart so you can have a conversation and the restaurant itself was very clean. This is a great lunch spot and I can't wait to go back to try more.

I went with my wife and friend exploring town. Walking in asked by the young man if this was our…read morefirst time. It was, and it was a great lunch. We each ordered something different. The amount of food was great. I had fried oysters and clams. The clams had Kelly's. The hushpuppies perfect. Friendly staff great service a place to go back to the next time in town. Pictures of the town on the walls makes it special.