Couldn't decide where to eat and decided to try the Frying Pan Got in there for lunch, me and three family members. To say the food was outstanding would be an understatement. And we were lucky enough to have Chris J as our waiter. He's also the facilities manager. The man never stops! He's either training somebody, serving somebody or cleaning up and assisting coworkers. If you go in, ask for him because you won't be disappointed. I had the steak tip wrap and it was outstanding. All beef with no fat. Another guest of ours had the chicken wrap that was outstanding. And they have killer french fries! Very large beer selection to boot. Definitely going back! read more

Hands down best food we had our trip! The biscuits... GUYSSSS! Hot, buttery... soft. It's a MUST! Also my ribs were fantastic! The grits and mashed potatoes were wonderful supporting characters! Would definitely go back! Oh and hush puppies with honey butter for every table!! Love it! Ohhhh! And we got pork belly and then put it in the biscuit... DELICIOUS read more

See all

Lovely night dining at the frying pan recently! The restaurant had a beautiful location, right on the water in Southport. We went on a Saturday night. They don't take reservations, and we waited about 40 minutes for a party of 3. We didn't mind, we walked around the restaurant and took in the scenery. Loved that they give you hush puppies for the table! Delish. We started with the corn ribs and I had the blackened chicken sandwich. The sandwich came with an awesome chipotle aioli. Great spot for a sunny evening, looking over the water read more

See all

Came here on hot day in June very parched from the heat. We asked our lovely server for some water right away to which she responded, kindly and urgently for us. The food was awesome, but the service was what we really needed. She was a Scottish or Irish woman who was on top of things and not hovering or overly chatty. Just really made our day and trip. read more

Food, service, and atmosphere were 10/10. Our server Kammie was very sweet and attentive. Our food was delicious. I ordered the Back line combo and my SO ordered the Safe Haven combo that included unicorn fish. Delicious and well prepared. The green beans as a side were very good and southern style. We will definitely go back on our next trip. read more

See all

Come hungry! This place has all the things. There was nothing that was in front of us that wasn't tasty. This place is in the small town of Southport. There's plenty of parking. It is located up in a building on stilts so there's an elevator contraption thingy if can't do steps. They do have an outdoor seating area, indoor seating, as well as a bar. The views are amazing!!! Waterfront - great ambiance. There was a 50 minute wait so sat at bar. Our server was Justin and he was absolutely amazing. He was managing the bar, fulfilling drink orders for tables, all while being super attentive and friendly. Every employee here is friendly. A server from the table behind is even came along the bar to make sure that we were all good. The fry guys are maxing and there's never a dead moment back in that kitchen (can see them working from bar). Hushpuppies are delivered when you sit down with a whipped creamy butter. These are handmade and the most delicious treats ever. You will not be able to stop eating them so don't even bother. Little butter gems kissing your tastebuds! Ordered a lemon drop martini - they call them Pantinis and a French 75. They were great. They do have a large selection of beach vibe drinks. They also have beet and wine. Lots of options. Ordered the calamari. It was tasty - lots of crust. Thai sauce comes with it. Ordered the seafood platter that had unicorn fish, shrimp, scallops, crabcake (not MD kind), green beans and potatoes. It was delicious! Also got the Southport Cheesesteak. Highly recommend! It's short rib meat and served with au ju and fries. Cole slaw and a mini buttered roll came with both of these. You get a ton of food!!! No wonder there is a wait here. Super delicious food made to order with terrific quality for the price!! Don't pass up this gem!! read more

See all

We decided to stop here to try a different restaurant in Southport for a change. I glanced at the ratings before we went but did not read the reviews. We had a great time because of our expectations not others opinions. The view is fantastic and we sat right by the windows. Other reviewers have called this a 'tourist trap' but I am not sure I agree. It is called the Frying Pan which should be the first clue. The service was good and our server was very helpful with information about our choices. I am sorry but we are a sucker for a good hush puppy and these were good...they are brought to your table when you arrive. I ordered their version of clam chowder, and dare I say was some of the best, most flavorful soup I have ever had...thanks to the servers suggestion. If you like a bit of spice then this is your soup. We also ordered the Calamari with a sweet pepper jelly dip and the Coconut Shrimp with an orange marmalade dip. Both were fried, but we knew that and they were delicious. We were very happy with our experience here and would definitely return in the future. read more

See all

First time trying the Frying Pan since moving here in 2022. We will definitely be back. What we loved the most...toss up between service and the food! Food wonderfully seasoned, large portions. Blackened unicorn fish was excellent. We highly recommend. read more

First the good: the view is beautiful! Our server was great. My husband enjoyed his fried shrimp. I ordered the "crab" cakes and they were gross. I could detect NO crab. There were long stringy white things that could have been onion or potato but not crab. They should call them onion cakes or potato cakes. The worst "crab" cake I have ever tasted. The bathrooms were icky. Wet floors and the door would not lock. So if you don't need to use the restroom and don't order "crab" cakes you might have a good experience. read more

We decided to visit the frying pan, and the views were spectacular! The restaurant was busy but we were seated quickly. Our server was kind and did a great job checking in on us. They immediately served hush puppies for the table which were delicious with the sweet butter. The gator bites were great but the sauce didn't match them (sweet chili) I ended up using the hot sauce on the table and it was great. I would definitely come back. read more

See all

We loved the Frying Pan! All of the food there was AMAZING and came out in a decent time. The views were great and we got some good pictures. Our waitress Kayla was awesome. She was very attentive, patient, and kind. I definitely recommend coming here!!! read more

I visited the frying pan today and the service was good, but the food quality was not good and the food significantly lacked flavor. The Crab was bland, wet, and cold. The chicken tenders were burnt on the outside and wet on the inside. A few hours later we all got sick. We all had the craps. read more

The frying pan is always a great place to eat. The food is fresh and there's so many good options. And the service is always great. read more

Frying Pan - Short Ribs with mashed potatoes - Seafood Near Me - Southport, North Carolina

The food was average. Bacon scallops were mostly grease. Green beans from a can and tasted boiled? Our table was tiny, not comfortable for 4 people. Service was adequate, nice view. read more

I keep seeing this Pop up on Facebook as being a good restaurant. It's a Tourist Trap they don't even have fresh oysters on the Menu this is the coast of North Carolina. The view is nice we lived in Southport for 3 years went there twice the second time only because friends were visiting and they wanted to try it. read more

After a beautiful ride on the ferry and traveling to The Frying Pan for some very good food. No longer do the "all you can eat " crablegs, but they have "all you can eat" popcorn shrimp on Wednesday. The service is awesome, attentive, friendly and knowledgeable. Very good selection and prices are affordable. read more

See all

Great location by the water. Food was delicious and generous portion. Lovely view and casual fun atmosphere. read more

Frying Pan - Shrimp and flounder dinner - Seafood Near Me - Southport, North Carolina

I enjoyed my lunch visit today. I had take out before from TFP but had not been inside. It sits on a very high spot over looking the water. The view is one of the most beautiful restaurant views ever, The whole room is a giant window. It was very clean and spacious, My server was great! She was in training and did an excellent job. There is an elevator if needed. They sell a lot of their sauces and a Bloody Mary mix. This was a work day so I ordered a Virgin Mary to try the mix. It was alittle sweeter than I like but still good. Hush puppies and butter are brought complimentary. They were average tasting. I ordered the grilled unicorn fish and it came with green beans and roasted potatoes. It also had a biscuit and Cole slaw. I never had unicorn fish and I liked it very much. All of it was really good. read more

See all

Tourist trap. Perhaps best view of the coast within the Yacht Basin group of restaurants but also our least favorite among them. Too many fried food options including the heavy hush puppies served at every table. We are a walking distance away and limit ourselves to going there for a meal. Just not generally good food in our opinion. And zero draft beer options which also puts this place at a disadvantage throughout the town. Can't see going again for any reason. read more

This restaurant has an amazing view of the sound from the dining room. The restaurant is on pilings so you do have to climb stairs to enter the building, but there is an elevator available. The food, service, and experience were completely amazing! Would definitely recommend! read more

See all

This restaurant is one of my favorites bc of the location. You get a great view while eating your meal. The wait staff was delightful. Calamari was ok, a Lil too much breading and super crunchy. Alligator bites were good with the chilli sauce provided. My crab legs were delicious. My husband's bacon scallops were salty and a tad over cooked. The sides were a salty but flavored well. Over all, it's a really good place to eat. The menu has a variety of dishes. read more

See all

We came in around 4:20pm on a Sunday with 6 people and were happily accommodated. The view was incredible, the staff was very friendly, and the food was outstanding. We got a few apps to start with. The hush puppies were fresh out of the fryer and served with melt in your mouth honey butter. The warm biscuits were such a treat! The coconut shrimp were perfectly cooked and perfectly crispy. I opted for the Unicorn Fish because why not with a name like that? It's also a crowd favorite and I can understand why! It was recommended blackened by our server. It was beautifully cooked and just melted in my mouth! The green beans were packed full of flavor! I believe there was bacon in them. We were treated like friends and family rather than customers. I wish I would've remembered the server's name because she deserves recognition from leadership. Thank you for the incredible dining experience we had! read more

See all

We've only been to this town 2 times in ten years and this fish was so perfect I can't wait to come back one day ! read more

Frying Pan - Seafood Near Me - Southport, North Carolina

See all

Came today with a friend to celebrate Mother's Day. We arrived before they opened and there was already several people waiting.. Both of us had never been. We sat outside and it was a beautiful perfect day. We had the whole place to ourselves for the first hour. Sarah gets 5 stars! Friendly, checked on us often and made recommendations. I had bacon wrapped scallops, kinda bland. The fried grouper and hush puppies were awesome! My friend had the unicorn fish plate and said it was excellent. Crab cakes were the best I had so far in NC. We were both too stuffed to try dessert. Prices were super reasonable too. Not much parking, so glad we arrived before opening. We will definitely be back for sure! read more

See all

All went well with our visit to the Frying pan! The staff was great and the food was delicious! We will be returning on our next beach trip! Slam dunk! read more

had dinner here with family while on vacation food was fantastic. Staff was accommodating even though we had an hour wait it was worth it only complain. It was very hot inside restaurant... other than that I highly recommend trying this place. read more

The view and ambiance were the only positives with my visit, though the service was OK. The food was...poor. Breaded fish was over-breaded. Side of coleslaw was miniscule, and lacked "sauce" but the most edible part of the meal. The fries looked good, but when I bit into them they were cold and actually tough to chew. They had obviously been sitting around for a while or freezer-burned. Even the lemonade was subpar, tasting watered down. The rest of my party were similarly unimpressed with their meals. Not recommended. read more

Our first time in Southport, Frying pan was recommended to us. We were there early (4:30 ish) it wasn't super busy yet. We asked to sit by a window when one was available to see the water. The hostess looked at me never responded. After we were seated a window table opened up, we asked a young gentleman crew member if we would be able to move. He was abrupt and said no, we have someone we are going to seat. The friend who loves seafood said the food was good that she ordered. It was disappointing that we were disregarded about sitting by a window. We are on holiday so we only had one night for dinner.... It's clearly a popular restaurant but I was disappointed we were treated as though they didn't care. read more

Food tasted great and quick. Service was wonderful, hostess and waitress both very polite. Location is perfect, right on the water. read more

See all

Food was fine. The staff was just standing around and sullen. Only 3 parties were there (including us) but plenty of staff doing nothing because no guests but looking like they were at a funeral, talking to each other or on their phones. They gave incorrect information about the food such as accompaniments and ingredients. No apology when I told him that the dish had different ingredients than he told me. I just got the Gen Z silence. We've had good experiences there before but probably won't be back. read more

Quick overview bc this might be a long one: Views - 5/5 Service - 5/5 (thank you Anna S!!) Food - 2/5 Cleanliness - 3/5 Value for price - 3/5 (view makes up for food) We were in town for July 4th weekend, we went around 5pm on a Monday night (day before the 4th) and we were seated immediately (but they did require the entire party to be present before being seated). It was busy so we were happy to be seated so quickly. We had a great waitress (Anna S), she was super friendly, attentive, and hospitable. She got our drink orders and brought out a bowl of some of the smallest hush puppies I have ever seen (they still tasted good though!). Given how busy they were, it was strange how quickly we got our food after ordering, which in this case threw up a for us and made us wonder if the food was prepared in advance and just reheated. I ordered the Cheese Ravioli with Sautéed Spinach and Bacon that came with a small side house salad that I shared with my friend. Because of the price ($22.95) we were expecting a larger portion that we could share since neither of us were very hungry. But there were just 5 medium sized ravioli and the side salad (not pictured) was a small bowl of lettuce with 1 slice of tomato, 1 onion ring, and 1 slice of cucumber. I know it's a side salad, but really? My boyfriend ordered the Crab Cake Dinner which he also wasn't satisfied with. The crab cakes were mostly batter, very well done, flat, and overall just unacceptable for an ocean side restaurant. The "cajun cream sauce" served with the crab cakes looked and tasted like brown gravy. The sides were extremely small portions and the green beans were served in a styrofoam cup. It seemed strange that a "nice restaurant" would serve anything in a styrofoam cup since everything else was in ceramic or glass. The green beans however were flavorful and well prepared. We also tried one of their specialty cocktails, the Cape Fear Sunset, and I honestly wish I didn't. It tasted like something you would get at a college bar, sickeningly sweet and the pourer was heavy-handed. There was no balance of flavor. There was a great waterfront view, they do offer outdoor seating, and we even saw some dolphins while we were eating our meal. The table was kind of sticky and the bathroom was gross and dingy. I've used nicer bathrooms at a gas station. Overall, we had higher expectations for a restaurant that had so much potential to be a nice waterfront restaurant. For the portions and flavor profile of what we were served, we would've expected to pay half the price. We've had better seafood 3 hours inland. We were disappointed and probably won't be back. read more

See all

The food was amazing and the view was great!! we had a nice server and were given plenty of time to make up our minds. The frying pan is really seafoodish so if you have picky eaters i'm not sure if there are many other options for them. read more

Frying Pan - free hush puppies as starter!!! - Seafood Near Me - Southport, North Carolina

See all

This is a mandatory stop when we come to Southport. The food is FRESH!!! if you're looking for a ton of flavor/seasoning. This is not your place but it is fresh and you can taste the freshness!!! Service was great. Very tourist-(y) type vibe which I stray away from but the food good! read more

The food and service were absolutely amazing. Chris was our server and everything we ordered was delicious. The popular dishes were the Lobster Mac and Cheese and the Popcorn Shrimp and Fish dinner. For the most enjoyable experience, arrive for dinner between 4 and 4:30 pm. If you arrive after those times, your wait is going to be an hour, especially if you are dining with a large group. read more

Love it! One of our go to's in Southport. Food is decent view is awesome from top floor. Hushpuppies are great.

This was my first visit to the Frying Pan. We chose it for the view and the variety of options on the menu--including that they offer several gluten-free options! The restaurant is on the 2nd floor, but they do have an elevator available for patrons who are unable to climb stairs. I can't stress this enough--Southport traffic gets crazy after 5PM. So either arrive early, or expect to drive around in circles for a parking spot to open up, followed by a line to be seated. The prices at Frying Pan are what you would expect for seafood with a water-view, but the portions were generous and the food was well-prepared. The staff were friendly and helpful. This place is definitely on my short-list the next time I visit Southport! read more

See all

View of the ICW was amazing. Waiter though new to the job was excellent. So far so good. Now the Food: AWFUL. The 3 crab cakes were frozen crab pancakes. So salty they approached inedible. The 1oz of slaw was dry and flavorless. The string beans were from a can. My luncheon partner had the shrimp po-boy which was equally disappointing. Frozen tasteless shrimp. We are not tourists. We know lowland seafood. Save your money. Oliver's is just 100 yards down the street and it provides excellent ambiance + delicious fresh seafood. read more

5/5 recommend for quality of food, speed of service, taste of food, view and especially service. Our server was April L. And she was amazing!! The shrimp chowder and the corn ribs were our favorites but everything was good. They were really busy so we figured we would be waiting for our food for a while. Nope, it came out quick and hot! read more

See all

When this restaurant first opened they were great. Good food, great atmosphere... so good that I still remember the grilled Grouper & fried oysters which are no longer an offering. Unfortunately I cannot say the same today. I visited for lunch on Wednesday, August 13, 2025. I ordered the much lauded chowder (it was good but not special) & crab cake appetizer, which failed by every measure. 'Couldn't taste any crab (not lump crab) & whatever filler was used was minced into the mix, It tasted like something that was prepared, frozen & imported far ahead of time in a far away place. After two bites I didn't eat any more of it. A sad case of a place that focuses on bar drinks & nabbing the flow of tourist. How to ruin a good view of the channel... order a meal. read more

Beautiful setting and views. Fried popcorn shrimp and grilled shrimp were delicious. Their sides need some help. The green beans looked awful and should have been thrown out. Please turn your ceiling fans off on cold December days! They were running on high and it wasn't pleasant for us. When I asked about them, I was told they could only turn them all off, not individually. Well how about just turn them down to low!! read more