Cute place right on the beach with a beautiful atmosphere and great views. The food was very good, and the staff was friendly and welcoming. Our servers were wonderful throughout the visit. The only downside was the wait time. Even though the restaurant was not busy, we waited about 10-15 minutes while the host trained a new staff member before being taken to the outdoor seating area. We were offered the option to sit at the inside bar, but not at an indoor dining table, which was fine since we were waiting for friends and preferred to sit outside anyway. Once we ordered, the food also seemed to take longer than expected to arrive. Overall, though, it was still a nice experience in a great beachfront location. read more

See all

After 6 years, I've made a long anticipated return to the lazy turtle for dinner tonight, let me just say taco Tuesday did not disappoint. This entire establishment has changed in every which way for the better. The inside had been renovated with a now view of the ocean, and they had upgraded wall decor and tables. No soggy fries, no dead flies, in fact this restaurant was sooooo much cleaner than I remember it being, even family who have been multiples times in the past agreed. We ordered the Nacho appetizer, and I got the chicken tacos and they exceeded my expectations in all sorts of delicious ways. The staff was so friendly the new owner even came by to chat and gave us chocolates, shout out to Giovanni! I can't wait to come back during the summer to see the beachfront patio in full effect! read more

See all

food was overpriced never was attended to, had to flag a server down to place an order. Waited 40 minutes for a drink and 15 more minutes for appetizers. Saw a customer leave due to long wait times. Shrimp fireball wasn't cooked well... Overall very disappointed.. Paid $45 for shrimps chips and cheese and two drinks. read more

Super convenient location along the beach. They have an old bar area, a new bar area with seating for dining as well, and an outside area on the beach. Lots of options for seating. Menu is varied and typical bar food. We only went in for drinks. They have some specialty drinks that are on point with the beach vibe and their theme. Ordered the Shark Bite and Turtle Juice. Both were good. They did have live music the night that we went and they were good (Gage Saylor and the Creekside Boys). This is a typical beach bar. All employees are super friendly and helpful. read more

See all

We just had lunch at the Lazy Turtle on the beach on Oak Island. The service was fantastic, fast and friendly. The food was also very fast and delicious! We will be back!! What a great atmosphere! read more

Listen my children, And you shall hear, Of the dinning escapades, Of one, Rumpy Revere, It was oneth by land, And twoth by sea, So we rode, To the Lazy Turtle, To trip the night fantastic, For me, And for my horse, Of course, Greeted by Amanda, Who was friendly with glee, And asked us quite nicely, What grub, you want, Bub? Surprised by her sassy, And sparkling wit, I had to retreat, Just a bit, So I consulted our Morkie, Westley you see, As he advised, Rums drinks, and Appies all around, And some scraps for me, While we enjoyed our Sex on the Beach, The sea air, And pristine breezes, Went wafting through our hairs, The Lazy Turtle chefs, Are a crafty lot of folk, As they drum your appetite, With liquor delights, Which excels and propels, Your food passions, Then Amanda subtly offers, A list of their fare, While continual gentle breezes, Keep caressing our essence, With the sweet, sea air, It's not bewildering to me, Why their savory, And gratifying manna, Enchanted our senses, Which made our dancing tastebuds, Lament our bellys' advances, As we raised our glasses, And cheered, To one and all, In our very, nature abundant, New Port of Call, We realized our luck, At having to be stuck, In such an awesome dream, As our carnivorous thirst, Made some of us burst, As we plotted our escape to the sea, We asked Amanda, To hold our mouth watering desserts, My Morkie, Westley, And me, I felt so alive, With the sea water, Helping me survive, A little to much Rum, In my tum, tum, As again, We plotted our course, The groggy, and soggy, Dispelled my slumber, As now, I was refreshed, And quite able, To once again, Enjoy the gastronomical delirium, Of the deserts, On our table, This be, But one evening of fun, For the traveling Rumpy Revere, Who's passion for dining, Often leaves him pining, For one more course, After a tough days ride, For both he, and his horse, You've listened my children, And now draw near, As our story has ended, But let us, Be clear, The Lazy Turtles' grub, Is delectable, delicious, And not so nutritious, Their Wenches are adapt, At keeping us happy, And their Chiefs are great, At making food snappy, Amanda my dear, You were a delight, With your witty repartee, And laid back demeanour, We felt we met a friend, My Morkie, Westley, And me, And of course, My horse, So visit the Lazy Turtle early, And often, Because if you enjoyed, Our tale of joy, Oy, They delight, In feeding you right, If you engage in the Gin, Then say nea, To your auto-companion, And ride your horse, of course. Enjoy! read more

We decided to try this place out today. The outdoor seating has a beautiful view of the beach. Our server took over 5 minutes to get to us, however she was super friendly and took great care of us throughout our service. I ordered the crab cake sandwich and we also got the fish tacos. The crab cake sandwich was delicious. It was definitely made in house. The actual cake itself was a bit small for the bun size. The slaw and sauce really complimented the crab cake. The chips were nothing special. The shrimp tacos were also well portioned and served with basic chips. Overall it was nice experience. I am not sure I would come back, but glad we got to stop by. read more

See all

Not great. We went in hoping for a relaxing meal to add to our beach experience. The vibe was a little loud and chaotic. They didn't have many options that wasn't deep fried. Our food was okay. It was overpriced for what we received. I'd look for a better opinion read more

Good food for lunch. I had the shrimp basket and my wife had the shrimp tacos. Both had generous amounts of shrimp and fries. The service was great and friendly. We will return! read more

Because I almost didn't come here because of the lower star rating, I felt I had to leave a review to get their ratings up to where they deserve to be. Our waitress was great! Friendly yet all business. Outside tables are literally on the sand next to the beach. I loved the outdoor rustic tiki bar which reminded me of my travels through the islands. While I didn't come here for a fine dining 5 star meal, I enjoyed my fried shrimp po' boy sub, cold Corona and awesome view. I'll come back. read more

The lazy turtle is where every pirate with grit and grin in oak island lays their hat. see its the point and place just in middle of the precipice of the pier that you can take a nice joyful walk after catching that perfect fish that fits your hands just right to then finding a cheeseburger with the perfect amount of bbq sauce inside in an onion ring just right that tastes like the winds of the oak island sea feels upon my back perfect in every way. The sand is available to your feet in seconds of reaching the planks and walking in from the front or back. There is hardly a difference because the bar is right there for you. They sport 2 bars of absolute couth one inside that adorns many delicious tap samples abound to your liking's to know what will make you feel just right. For my palette was garnished with the buffalo trace as I felt the fight beautifully burning. I turned to notice many changes in a place I had only ever sat outside to. I turn to my right and see a bunch of awesome video games for the conciseness of fun, and a way to distract the kids in you or in your family to allow the sipping of your bourbon you so rightfully deserve from hard work or battles of the night if you're a warrior like me. see we all deserve a temple of sand and fun and the outside bar shading me from the heat made me realize this was the place I could really bow my head in accomplishment. My parents really loved their food as well. They savored the shrimp tacos and the steak sub equally pleasing to their palates. What really gets you though is the sinking of your feet into the sand as you bite into the burger, all my insignificant woes and sorrows drifted away as i tasted the burger i had ordered of perfect heat from the medium rare they cooked to perfection. compliments to all the chefs that work there. You really are the unsung warriors of this world, especially as the heat basks onto that building and your grills work so efficiently to create perfection every time. much love to your family, friends and home. bartenders of absolute patience to the buggering of pleasant customers that have retired from their woes and want to drown them out. You are brave, you are respected and I salute you. This business knows what you want and a yo ho ho does it give it to you. visit the lazy turtle because it beckons you and your heart deserves it and as well as your palate of good taste knows it. with love ~ The Beast aka Brian Francis Cote read more

Food & service was excellent. Shrimp & Fish tacos as well as shrimp was superb! Great place to take a family. They can accommodate a large group. 8-10 easily. Inside & outside seating! The manager, GIo. Was very welcome and attentive. It is OPEN on Monday!! read more

Service was great from the time we walked up to the hostess stand until we finished our meal. Friendly with the perfect beach vibe. Food was fresh and delivered to our table in a timely manner. The restaurant was crowded inside and outside as we were there between 6-6:30 pm. We ordered a crab sandwich and a shrimp po boy. Yummy! read more

We can't rave enough about GIO!!!! He is amazing, we have been going here for years. But he changed this environment completely. read more

A beach dive, came for a quick dinner but was met with really dirty tables, hundreds of flys that were biting our legs, and cold food. Typically don't have high standards for beach places but this one was dirty and there's better places near by. Edited to include that it is also oddly expensive, it was $50 for two sandwiches that were cold, freezer burnt French fries they up-charge for(?) and one beer. read more

Staff definitely made good recommendations when it came to food! Loved their fish tacos which was flounder.... Glad Ariel wasn't around. (Bad Disney reference lol) Definitely a beach themed restaurant. They have an outdoor bar area which is right on the sand. Took our kids to the beach while we waited for our food.... Which was a good distraction for them lol. Not a sandy person? Don't worry they have an indoor bar too Plenty of parking available and they have separate men/ women bathrooms as well. Oh! They also have an arcade area for the older kids. read more

Lazy Turtle Oceanfront Grille - Fish tacos! - American Near Me - Oak Island, North Carolina

See all

Idk service was "ok" bartender was super sweet though. Food was "ok" but other places that are better tasting on the beach. read more

My favorite restaurant on the island. Good food, service and atmosphere. We always hit the Lazy Turtle and all of us are pleased with the food. read more

See all

sorry, I've read some less than glowing reviews, but my wife and I were here recently, great fish tacos, great drinks, outstanding staff, amd a very nice outdoor area. maybe something's changed, but i had a very nice time there. read more

Such an amazing beach-front bar and restaurant! Under new management: it was great before, now phenomenal. Fried oysters, fish tacos, great service! read more

The service was Amazing, the manager Gio was assisting with service, our food was wonderful! The manager is over the top with customer service. He even washed the our feet read more

See all

Laidback beach vibe with friendly waitstaff. Basic bar grub but generous portions and fairly priced. Very dog-friendly.

Waited an hour and half to get our food. My hot sandwich was cold and missing the cheese. The waitress offered to take it back but I refused. I didn't want to have to wait another hour for another sandwich. Service was less than acceptable. Should have left when we first got here after waiting 20 minutes before the waitress even came over to get our order. read more

Waited an hour on a Saturday evening, as expected. We were seated outside as requested and ordered drinks and two appetizers. Apps took about an hour to make it to the table and drinks were not refilled until requested. When requested, only one drink refill was brought to the table, we had 4 guests all drinking the same thing. The environment was beautiful, and the apps were good, but we did not receive our food after two and a half hours. I requested a status update from the server, who was never able to give us a solid answer. I asked the very kind bartenders for a status update, and they were not able to get back to us in a timely manner due to being so busy at the time. Safe to say, I do not have plans to return. The service needs extreme improvements. I have worked in the service industry myself, and it would have been nice for us to at least been kept informed. We left without dinner or a solid status update. read more

It's off season and we went late in the afternoon so it wasn't busy at all. We sat at the bar. The place is right on the beach. It's dark on the inside - which I'm sure works well for the evening entertainment. The overhead music was okay and the woman at the door seemed pleasant enough. Our waitress was completely oblivious to us. We ordered one beer and after we finished those, we wanted to order another. She sat at the end of the bar, scrolling through her phone. My friend addressed her a couple of times - trying to get her attention. No response. I suggested we just go somewhere else. Waited a few more minutes for her to look up at us. Never happened. Eventually I asked for our check. read more

I have been coming to the lazy turtle for the outside beach lunch 4-5 times a month for 2 years. I always order the philly cheesesteak sandwich. I went there on Thursday after being out of the country for a while to reestablish myself. What did I find? The great philly sandwich which use to be chopped beef was now some sort of thin sandwich meat. Three micro slices of processed meat that I found dreadful. Not only did they move to some sort if processed food but they raised the prices of whatever they try to call that sandwich. I hate to say it but you lost my business. My wife says you changed from preparing the hamburgers to using boxed hamburgers. What happened to your restaurant? You went completely downhill. Unbelievable!!! read more

Great food for a quick meal. Service was very fast. Video games and music made for a cool setting.

Would have rated 3.5 if possible... Hostess was friendly and nice. Loved that they are dog friendly and actually have a dog menu! We ordered the chicken for our dogs and they loved it. Also liked that we could sit outside with them. First waitress was a little snippy at first, I think because if dogs... she said she was afraid. A new waitress came and she was nice, but seemed flustered or busy. We had some peel and eat shrimp which was pretty good but not fresh which was surprising. Also not a fan of country music, which is all we heard... personally prefer KoKo Cabana but they are not dog friendly. read more

Stopped in for a quick drink on the beach Nice picnic tables right on the beach Got to meet Dayle, our server. She was fantastic, lots of fun! They are remodeling , putting in a new door that will open to the beach, and a really cool looking new bar Gonna stop back to check it out better leave! read more

I've only eaten here twice. All I have to say is if the fryer is working you should eat here. As soon as they announce the fryer aint working LEAVE. My "grilled" shrimp tacos tasted like soggy napkins. The previous time when the fryer was working it was delicious. read more

Decided to get lunch while we waited to check into our house rental. Party of 8 from Long Island and Morgan, our server was fantastic! Espresso Martinis were great! Gio the owner was very friendly, he came over and thanked us for stopping in. Food was delicious and the outside little Tiki bar adorable read more

Ordered Seafood Platter for take out. Flounder, shrimp, clams lightly breaded, fried were excellent. Never order fried food but if I ever do again, hope it is just like this. Fries perfect. Watched beautiful sunset outside at fun sand bar. Everyone kind. Next trip to Oak Island this will be on my list read more

It was two days before Christmas so it was a pretty slow day at Lazy Turtle but it was warm and we were able to get a table close to the water. Our server was very friendly and was a pleasure to talk to. Again, it was slow so she was able to stay and chat a while. Our order was simple and quick as were only there for a quick lunch. We ordered the fish tacos and flounder basket. I was hesitant at first because I would rather have a different fish for my fish tacos but I thought I'd give it a try (I like founder but would simply prefer another fish). The food cam out quickly and was great. the tacos were overflowing and the aioli used was awesome. The flounder basket was really good too. Overall, our lunch was better than I expected and I would definitely go back. I can imagine this place is packed in the summer especially at the outside tiki bar. read more

Asked for beachfront seating and was led to a sandy backyard of sorts overlooking the beach. Our server was polite and likable, but a C A D E T from space. She was also pulling double duty as the lone tender of the considerable outdoor bar. She was slow as molasses when we arrived and the place was dead, and she didn't speed up any when the place started to fill up. Wife ordered garden salad with chicken & italian dressing, I chose fried shrimp. Easy-peasy. When our food arrived (still waiting for long-empty drink refills mind you) we were informed they were out of italian dressing & they instead brought containers with substitute dressings. Very nice, but wouldn't it be better to let the customer know at the onset that italian dressing was 86'ed, thereby giving the diner the flexibility of changing her order? TLDR- My shrimp was tasty, though not nearly as good as the place a few doors down. My wife's Surprise Substitution Salad sucked the fat one. read more

See all

Where do I start? The terribly gross indoor seating options or the never ending attack of flys and flying red ants? I ordered a chicken salad (it's on the menu) and my fella got the fried shrimp. He enjoyed his meal while I.... Well... ate some of mine. First they told me when they brought out the food that they didn't have my choice of dressing (forget changing my order just had to go with one of the two dressings they brought me). Though it wasn't my choice of dressing it was the best part of my meal. The lettuce reminded me of the lettuce they used to put on the side of the plate as garnish. The cucumbers were a bit suspect and most definitely past their prime. The chicken... not good. Ordered an OKI Sunset and let's just say the second one was even more watered down than the first. I'm thinking they allowed the cup to just look at the alcohol that was supposed to be in it. Also, our server who doubled as bartender forgot about us more than once. The best part of the meal were the fried pickles for an appetizer and that's what gave this place a 2 star review rather than one. (This review doesn't get to be rewarded with pictures. It made me sad.) read more

Delicious food. Friendly service. Beautiful scenery. The Lazy Turtle met all of our vacation-lunch-on-the-beach needs and then some! Melissa was our server & was as friendly as could be, and so attentive. Would recommend! read more

Lazy Turtle Oceanfront Grille - Delicious Food!! - American Near Me - Oak Island, North Carolina

See all

Best fried seafood for the price that we found on the island. The service was excellent and the manager was so nice and interactive with the customers. I love the new look and the fact it was on the ocean front. I would definitely recommend for a causal lunch or dinner. read more

Right on the beach! Only got apps and drinks but they were great! Had a small issue but owner was quick to make it right! Will definitely be back! read more

The food is good, really neat it's on the beach the flies are a little overwhelming when sitting outside but otherwise it's good

Waited to put a name in for several minutes due to disorganization and them being unable to find a note pad? Sat outside in the rain for 45 minutes after we were told it would be less than a 20 minute wait. Seated a 6 table that was there 10 minutes after us, before we had gotten seated. Left after that. Extremely disappointed with the service. read more