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.

Only one server seemed to like her job and of course we didn't get her. The food was average.read more

Yes it's pricey. Yes it's good. Yes it's the only 'fancy' restaurant on the island. We loved their…read moreshrimp and grits. Ordered it multiple days in a row. They take reservations and do book up some nights. You can always order take out from the bar. It's next to a park so could bring the kids there right after dinner. I will def go back here.

Yay they take reservations for our family of 17, not easy for small beach town…read more Place was packed thou on cozier side (not huge space). We're from the land of plenty aka Northern VA, the food is comparable to All American Restaurant chain. The steak was the star, the other entrees were fine but not spectacular. The short ribs tasted like pot roast and was oddly shredded- not a fan. Dessert was let down, crème brûlée was way too fudgy (no signature jiggle), carrot cake meh and truffle had no cake (just pudding). Seriously, Hire a new pastry chef. Service was efficient, friendly but more towards quick turnaround as they were busy.

Yelp, I wrote and posted a review last week. Once again you disappeared it? Is your system broken?…read more Why do my reviews keep being erased? Please don't gaslight me over it, I've already had friends comment on my review before you deleted it, so I know it was up for a while.

We had breakfast at Seaview Pier and it was such a great experience. I ordered "The Hangover" with…read morea side of shredded hashbrowns and biscuits, and everything was cooked perfectly--flavorful, hearty, and really well made. The food came out quickly, and the service was warm, kind, and very attentive. We sat outside overlooking the water, which made the meal even better. Between the great food, friendly staff, and beautiful view, this spot is definitely worth a visit for breakfast on the island.

Driftwood Craft Kitchen was one of the highlights of our visit to Hampstead. The atmosphere strikes…read morea great balance between upscale and coastal, with warm wood tones, modern finishes, and subtle nautical touches that feel inviting without being overdone. We started with The Amelia cocktail, which was refreshing and well-balanced. For appetizers, the Sesame Ahi Tuna was incredibly fresh and perfectly prepared. The C.A.B. Ribeye was the standout of the meal--tender, flavorful, and cooked exactly as ordered. We also shared the chocolate mousse, which was smooth, decadent, and the perfect finish. What stood out most was the attention to detail in both the food and the overall experience. With excellent ingredients, skilled preparationu, and a beautiful atmosphere, Driftwood Craft Kitchen is absolutely worth a visit. We'll definitely be back.

Where do I begin... We ordered martinis,…read moreThe glasses were no where near "full" Wife ordered the chef special, Chilean Seabass. I think it was the special because it was almost ready for the dumpster, She said she thought the sauce tasted odd. But later her stomach wasn't feeling well I ordered the steak sandwich, And specifically asked if the steak was chopped up, As I do not like fat or gristle in the bites of my steak sub. It was large chunks of steak that the fat had not been trimmed off of there were a lot of bites that I had to simply expel onto my plate. When Kimmy our server, asked, how was the meal? I told her and she could clearly see that I did not eat most of my steak sandwich and I had spit out a lot of it. When the overpriced Bill reached our table, A tall man with a big beard came to the table and asked how was the meal? I told you him about the steak sandwich. And he asked, If we were locals I said yes we were. And he said this, Well, maybe we can take care of it the next time you're in... HE SHOULD'VE TAKEN CARE OF IT THERE AND THEN Not sure what that's really means, Since now I will never be going back. And neither should you As you read the other reviews, it is CLEARLY an overpriced menu. With overpriced drinks Just like the Owner's other "bar and grill" in Sneads Ferry Spaggia (sp)? We went there a while back and found the same thing to be true. I think they're a "couple" from New York and wanna come down here to SouthEastern, North Carolina and charge New York prices Now, I reached out to the owner the next day and never received a call back. My advice. Don't waste your time OR your money

Our service was outstanding. We enjoyed our dinner and the view was amazing. Nice quiet local…read morerestaurant.

DO NOT RECOMMEND…read more So we were sat super fast but literally walked out after sitting for 20 minutes and was not approached once. It wasn't even busy and several servers. We were so excited to try the food but apparently the service is horrible. Made me sad. PLUS it seemed so over priced but that never stops us. Now we are headed to Cape Fear Seafood where we are never disappointed.

Randy runs the fish market and Mike makes the best grilled grouper sandwich I've ever had…read more All four of my kids begged to come back! It's a Topsail MUST.

There aren't many restaurants this side for the island, so I'm rating them on the fact that they…read moreexist and are open. Easy pickup window. Food is good. Love the fish selection you can guy inside.

We got here a little after 5pm on a Thursday evening. We wanted to sit outside so we walked over to…read morewhere we saw what looked to be a server talking to a customer. The server (Garrett) asked us to go inside to get the hostess to seat us. We did but the was another lady behind us who overheard and rushed to beat us inside. I thought it was incredibly rude of her, especially since she was old enough to know better and there was PLENTY of outdoor seating. Joke was on her though since Garrett saw what happened and was both of our servers. He made sure we got served first. Gotta love instant karma (and Garrett!) Did not get a good look at the inside restaurant but the outdoor seating was great, with an excellent view of the docks and sunset. We opted for a table but discussed that next time we would sit at the bar facing the water. Us girls started with the Pumpkin Pie Martini. It was absolutely delicious...especially the spicy sugared rim. Great fall drink. My husband and I both ordered small seafood platters. Him as is with coleslaw and fries, and me with cheese grits and seasonal veggies. When we come back, I'll get the fries and the veggies again. My friend had the 1/2 lb peel and eat shrimp. All of this was plenty of food, I even took some of mine home. It did feel a little expensive but I feel like it was worth it, especially with the views and the service. We will be back.

We enjoyed our meal at Breezeway. It started out a little rocky, though. We had to wait about 10…read moreminutes before anyone greeted us. The hostess didn't know if they had a table outside even though there were 2 empty. We went to the bar and no one acknowledged us for 10 minutes. Finally, someone asked if we were being helped. Maybe they were short staffed or not as well organized as they could be. Ultimately, the female bartender secured us a table and took our order. She made good suggestions from the menu. I ordered the grilled shrimp skewers, and my husband had a mixed seafood platter that he really enjoyed. He thought the oysters and scallops were great. My shrimp skewers were a bit salty but overall had good seasoning. There was live music and that made the experience more enjoyable, along with the bartender who served us. Overall, I would recommend them, but I would suggest not going during peak season. We went during off peak season and the lack of organization or exhaustion of staff made it a bit "off" despite pretty good food. I've heard that there are extremely long waits during busy times.

Sophisticated coastal cuisine in a modern, romantic but industrial ambiance. We had a wonderful…read moretime settled at the bar with Kyle taking exceptional care of us. He had a great recommendation of the Malbec (Zuccardi) wine, which we were given a huge glass of. Would go back just for that wine. Best bite of the night was truly the Rockefeller Oysters, which come with a fresh biscuit but Kyle made sure I had the saltines I really love with them. Those were *eyes roll back in your head* REALLY good, especially for the quality of the cheese. Second best was the Blue crab pasta, which used local crab, but I think average flavor overall. Great portion and loved the capers but, didn't get the depth I expected from shallot and white wine sauce. I wouldn't get the salmon gyros again, even as creative that combo sounds the salmon was overwhelmingly not fresh and there wasn't enough tzatziki to cover it up. We loved the toasted naan and fries. Kyle told us the staff loves to get the salmon gyro but with fried chicken instead, I may try that next time. Overall a fabulously efficient and positive vibe from every staff member I interacted with, could certainly come back and eat another dozen oysters.

Great atmosphere. Such a yummy menu. We ordered the labneh dip, which was huge! The serving was so…read moreworth the price and could've fed 4, but of course 2 of us were able to wipe it out LOL. Fun and happy servers who were checking in on us, very helpful. The oyster selection was awesome as well! Loved the flavoring and brine of the top choice one on the menu, and also the price was fantastic. Will definitely return here. Was told it backs out on the weeknights and weekends! Would definitely recommend.