What a fantastic restaurant. We went during our stay in Avon which was extended due to the nor'easter. We were skeptical at first because we weren't sure what to expect from a beach town restaurant. Boy were we surprised! the food was fresh expertly and artistically prepared, great flavors, and our waitress was exceptional. My only complaint would be that they appeared to be understaffed with no bartender so our waitress had to do double duty nonetheless it was a party of seven and we enjoyed ourselves immensely. read more

Food was really good! Service was great, and pretty fast. The hush puppies and fried pickle spears were so delicious. The ambiance is casual but nice. Local art on the walls and a big bar in the middle. Seems like a place for regulars. read more

Such a great experience at Ketch 55! The food and service is consistently superb. We actually had the seafood combo and the Asian Tuna twice this week. It's rare to find a truly Fresh fried seafood dinner (which was only lightly fried and healthy)! The tuna was so tender and delicately flavored with a slightly tangy sauce. You have to try the jalapeno margaritas! read more

Ketch 55 Seafood Grill - Seafood Near Me - Avon, North Carolina

We were having trouble finding a restaurant open on a Tuesday in June at 11:00 am in Avon, NC when we stumbled on Ketch 55. My husband and I wanted crab cakes, but our waitress Trish told us that they had been hit hard the night before and they were in the process of making more (they just opened at 11). I had a house salad, and She crab soup. My husband had the flounder fish basket with fries and slaw. We both had calamari. Everything I had was AMAZING! My husband liked the flounder but liked the calamari and soup better, so much so that he ordered a bowl to go so our housemates could try it. Great service with Trish repeatedly refilling our drinks and checking on us. We will go back! read more

Ketch 55 Seafood Grill - She Crab soup at Ketch 55, Avon NC - Seafood Near Me - Avon, North Carolina

The food was tasty but not served hot. The service was some of the worst we have had-SLOW, unfriendly, and inattentive.

The wait was minimal. The food was fantastic!!!! Our server was the best! Definitely recommend!

We had an amazing dining experience at Katch 55 Seafood Grill! I ordered the Blackened Tuna, and it was simply perfect--cooked to perfection with incredible seasoning. Our waiter was outstanding, going above and beyond to ensure all our requests were met. To top it off, we were celebrating my husband's birthday, and the staff surprised us with a beautiful celebration, making the visit truly special. I can't recommend this restaurant highly enough for anyone looking for a fantastic meal and exceptional service. We will definitely be returning! read more

Ketch 55 Seafood Grill - Desert - Seafood Near Me - Avon, North Carolina

We love trying local seafood spots. This did not disappoint! Great food, atmosphere, and service.

10 out of 10 on the fresh fish tacos! Outstanding food and drinks! Great atmosphere! Everyone was pleased with their meal! Hush puppies were delish! read more

Ketch 55 Seafood Grill - Seafood Near Me - Avon, North Carolina

Service was great here! She did an amazing job with making sure our waters were always full. The one thing I noticed was that the food did take an adequate amount of time to come, although the food was not actually hot! The fried goat cheese may have been better if it was crispier. I did like the 12 for 13 deal on wing though! They actually have barbecue, buffalo and plain wings which their menu does not write out. Our server was more than happy to explain this! I wish the Calamari was a bit crispier although it was still enjoyable to eat! Seafood alfredo was not hot when it came out, and I noticed the portion was pretty small despite the price. The decorations in the restaurant were fitting for the nice theme though! read more

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Best Mahi fish tacos I've ever had! Fish comes on the plate separate so that you can make 4 tacos. Comes with 4 tortillas. Wife had the muscles. She insisted on getting the recipe lol read more

On our way out towards our beach house we came across here and decided to try it out. Overall the food was pretty decent with expected pricing $$, and the small town vibes throughout made it charming. My brother was excited to try some local seafood and ordered calamari for us to share. Their take on calamari was for sure different- there were mandarin oranges on top(like from a fruit cup.?) , with jalapeños and a light sauce to dip them in. And while I can appreciate variety when it comes to common appetizers, we definitely still asked for some lemons and more aioli haha. I ordered the crabcakes with fries as a substitute, my partner got the burger, and my brother had to try the shrimp po'boy. It was all hot and fresh, with only minor adjustments needing to be made. As far as service goes, for a busy evening our waitress (who was training a new person too) kept up with our table and tried their best to accommodate- but as a message to management someone should be tag teaming bringing food out i saw like 3 or 4 people working there just standing around at the bar talking. Not fair to the rest of your team or customers waiting to be fed. read more

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We enjoyed a meal here on Memorial Day 2025. The service was friendly & the food was good. There were a few other tables around, but sound was ok. We will go back whenever back in the area! read more

Couldn't ask for better! Friendly service, outdoor seating, great seafood, and a key lime drink that I couldn't get enough of. Don't skip this place if you're in the area. read more

Amazing food, but they need to up their cocktail game. Add a whiskey cocktail to the menu, please. Super nice staff, good music (although, I think you may want to check to make sure both your L and R speakers are working) and for a spot in gas station lot, they did a good job with the feel of the place. read more

Service was slow, though place was empty. the risotto was just rice, really. The tiramisu had fake cream and was not very good. The salmon was very good. read more

It was not very busy when my husband and I went for dinner recently. All of the staff we encountered were super friendly and very helpful. We started with fish bites as an appetizer... I think they were mahi? They were delicious, but we both felt that the seasoning that was used on them overpowered the fish. For entrées we both got the shrimp and grits. I love when a restaurant serves that with grit cakes and that is how Ketchup 55 does it. Unfortunately, the grit cake was so incredibly salty that I could not even eat half of it. The base of the recipe was good, but could've been creamier. I also wished it was serve served at a hotter temperature than it was. While we were not overly impressed, I do think that we would give them a second chance. read more

Unfortunately the experience here was quite negative. We were sat and then waited 25 minutes to get water. We were a table of 5, 4 of us asked for alcoholic beverages which weren't seen for another 20 minutes. I also asked for a Coca Cola which had to be asked for 3 times before the server remembered it. Then our food came and I got the 10oz strip (which was 85% inedible fat) and mashed potatoes that were cold. The gravy had curdled from sitting for so long as well. My dad got fish that was supposed to come with vegetables but when he got the food it was risotto that was incredibly dry. It is clear that there is a huge management issue here as we saw multiple busser girls walking around the busy restaurant not picking up anything. Standing on their phones, not paying attention. When we asked for refills they could not give it to us because they ran out of clean glasses since the busser girls weren't doing their jobs. The big table next to us also seemed to have a negative experience telling us that one of their orders didn't get to them when the rest of their table's did, when they got it, it was wrong, when it came back it was still wrong, then wrong again a third time, by the time they finally got his food right the rest of their family were done eating and ready to go. read more

We came in just before closing and the service and food were both great. We always research where we eat but we were coming back late and just saw this and decided to try it. So glad we did! We will definitely tell others what a great experience we had! read more

The food was pretty good and staff was nice Most of us enjoyed our meal. Give it a try if staying on HI read more

I have given Ketch several opportunities and have not had a good meal. Tonight I ordered fish tacos (mahi) and there was no flavor, not only in the fish but with the sides as well. The bar atmosphere is fun if you're looking to sit at a bar, but the food is less than stellar. read more

I made my return here and everything appeared the same except for a few different menu options. The Ketch antipasto was once again ordered (see previous review for similar thoughts). For dinner, I split 2 dinners, the shrimp, and grits along with the fresh ketch which was lightly blackened puppy drum. The shrimp and grits contained andouille sausage with tomato concasse, and a blackened cream sauce over fried grit cakes. This was unbelievable. There were about 7 shrimps present with a few large pieces of sausages. The blackened cream sauce was the key here. It had an unbelievable kick to it. I thought there was too much sauce present but between the sausage and shrimp along with the grit cakes, it was perfect as the sauce soaked up all those. The grit cakes were a great added touch. The blackened puppy drum came with a sun-dried tomato and goat cheese risotto with broccolini in an herb oil and balsamic reduction. This was solid too. The puppy drum was light and meaty, while the oil and balsamic reduction enhanced the overall flavor. The risotto was alright. read more

Ketch 55 Seafood Grill - Shrimp & Grits - Seafood Near Me - Avon, North Carolina

WOW! Fantastic meal and service. I had the cajun chicken and was pleasantly surprised by the chicken. I did find the pasta a tad overcooked. Vibe was homey and warm. Our server, Isabela, was both amazing at her job and an amazing person. She was so sweet. Thank you for a fantastic dinner!! read more

Great food. Specials, and a terrific staff I go at least once a week. Full bar and local micro brews read more

During our vacation, we visited this place twice and both times the drinks and food were amazing. One day, we went for lunch and had the chimichanga and the second day we went for dinner and had oysters, amazing elote, seafood Alfredo, and Asian Tuna it was spectacular!!!! read more

Fun little place with great food. Try the catch of the day! The service was excellent and the food was fresh read more

There were a few groups waiting. The place was 1/2 full but yet groups were waiting. I walked up to the bar seating area. I sat at then bar with nobody on either side of me. The bartender never acknowledged me in any way, not even saying " I will be right with you." She walked by me numerous times along with other employees. For 10 minutes I was invisible. I got up and walked out and it looked like the same groups were still waiting on seating even though the place was 1/2 full. read more

Food was delicious, server was very nice and attentive. Loved the homemade brownie dessert. My seafood Alfredo was good but it was very white, would have loved a piece of bread or something with it. read more

My wife and I decided to eat dinner here. The ambiance was very nice. It is kind of like a home town bar and grill. The servers were very friendly and we enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine before dinner. The fish was a little fishy and oily for my taste but it was probably the kind of fish it was. It was prepared nicely and the pepper cream sauce tasted good. I also had a wedge salad before dinner that was ok but nothing special. It could have used more blu cheese dressing. The bottom line is that this was an ok place to eat with a nice atmosphere. Despite a couple shortcomings, I would recommend giving them a try. read more

Only came here for a quick bite. Sat at the bar and had fried calamari. Food was good and service was great. Nice little restaurant to visit. read more

Very nice location, patio seating, fun inside with local artists. Friendly staff. Food was good and portions were generous. One of our dinners had fried flounder - and was surprised that it had a smoked flavor. Another ordered the lump crab soup, and found it surprisingly spicy. For me, some scollops were a bit under cooked, and the shrimp was heavily breaded. Just felt prices were high and that I have had better cheaper elsewhere in OBX. read more

Ketch 55 Seafood Grill - Fried shrimp and scallops - Seafood Near Me - Avon, North Carolina

Fish tacos were presented beautifully and were yummy! Warm tortillas and lots of cheese, what more could you want? Our waiter was attentive and it was pretty chill on an early Sunday evening. read more

Ketch 55 Seafood Grill - Fish tacos with warm tortillas - Seafood Near Me - Avon, North Carolina

Came here in 2023-not good. Decided to give it another chance in 2025 (avoiding the mushroom risotto this time--trust me). Started with some hush puppies and the shrimp appetizer. Hush puppies weren't terrible, I'm just not a fan of whole pieces of corn in mine. They were warm-ish, but not hot--at 5:30pm, no less. I should've taken this as an omen for what was to come. Shrimp looked good when they came out. I cut into one and the halves didn't want to separate because of the giant...excrement vein...holding them together. And when I say giant, I mean it. I've had plenty of shrimp in my life. I don't know what these ones were eating before they made it to my table but it was disturbing. Cut into 2 more, same thing. I had to look away from my plate to preserve what was left of my appetite. And believe it or not, that wasn't even the worst part of this place. The worst part was the crab cake....with red bell peppers in it. Who does this? Zero percent (0%) crab flavor, or ANY flavor for that matter, EXCEPT bell peppers. How is that even possible? The squash were slimy, mushy, long slices of mostly seeds that tasted like burnt grill oil. Sad. The fried flounder had a good coating on it. Not bad, but maybe I was grasping at straws trying to find anything good about this place. Please save yourself and find somewhere else to eat. Please. read more

The food was beautifully plated and tasted great. My husband loved the pickled vegetables on it and my steak was perfectly cooked and the cheesy mashed potatoes were heavenly. The green beans were crisp and had awesome flavor. Of course our toddler loves the quesadilla and fresh cut fries. Our waitress was Mimi I believe she said and she was attentive and a total sweetheart. read more

Over charged me days after eating there and no one would answer the phone to resolve issue.

Service started out ok then ghosted. Food.. seafood pasta.. cold, rubbery seafood that could not eat.. spit out after trying several things. Meatloaf mush. Afraid to try again read more

Phenomenal! Casual atmosphere with culinary sophistication (kids menu as well). Service was so attentive and intuitive when making individual recommendations...ceasar salad, shrimp and grits, FRESH tuna with wasabi mashed potatoes and ponzu sauce (GF!), coconut shrimp w sides...going back again this week!! read more

Many OBX restaurants are suffering from staffing issues and Ketch55 is no different. But we were promptly seated on our arrival, and our affable server did a great job and all the staff appeared to work hard and hustle. Kudos to the host who seemed to keep everything on track, including pitching in to help clear tables. Started with the Fried Goat Cheese appetizer with baby spinach and a berry compote. Definitely a unique something to share. Hard to identify what berries--other than the blueberries--were included in this traditional Mediterranean offering but you should seriously consider taking the leap. The OBX Blonde beer was a refreshing, and tasty start. The fresh local fish of the day was Spanish Mackerel. It arrived lightly breaded and hot from the fryer. Full disclosure we had tried Ketch55 for take out during Covid and were not overwhelmed. Glad we give them another chance...it was fun! read more

Ketch 55 Seafood Grill - Fish of the Day--Spanish Mackerel! OBX local fresh and delicious. - Seafood Near Me - Avon, North Carolina

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I've lived here all my life don't go out to eat much as it's become pricey. Yet my brother will visit and take me out to eat also will take my children out when they visit. Until this year I've never had a bad meal at ketch..as I always do I order a fillet..medium. ..pink in the middle..this year they way overcooked my 38 dollar piece of beef....wasn't worth eating...after many years I won't be back read more

We loved the menu's variety. Steak, crab legs and catch of the day were all really tasty... Our waitress was fun and attentive. She regaled us of the story of how the hush puppy got its odd name! The general environment was comfortable. read more