The food was excellent, there was an abundance of food you got a great value for your money. It…read morewas one dollar per wing for chicken wings the appetizers were spot on and served fast and delicious the service substandard, the waitress ignored us quite a few times, The atmosphere in was great. The people were active and having a good time it was kind of busy. I'll write this 3.5 stars.

Sat at the bar. Place was almost empty except the guy sitting in the middle of the side that had…read morethe NFL game we wanted to watch. Could not get 3seats together. Ordered some food and asked if they could change the channel on the game in front of us and was told no. Tried to move to a table to have a better view of the game but again we were told no we had to check out at the bar first so we did. Then we were told we could not sit at a table for six with only 3 people. We moved to a 4 top and were practically ignored by our waitress. Extremely poor service. No wonder the place was empty.

4.5 Overall - A real beach-feel taco shack, less than a block from the ocean. Outdoor seating (no…read moreindoors) and weathered wood lends authenticity to the Surf City vibe, but then one also needs to contend with the birds and heat (minus the ocean breeze). We drove here with friends from Jacksonville (NC) and experienced the food and service and, afterwards said we'd definitely return here. Why? Tacos. We ordered four - Tuna, Shrimp, Chicken, and Veggie- all on a soft corn tortilla. Each one packed a mouthful of flavor combinations that were distinct and memorable. My blackened and seared tuna took a different turn with the bacon, yet it melded well with the cabbage and the spicy mayo. My favorite - the blackened and grilled Shrimp taco - included Asian slaw and sweet chili sauce that complimented the char. Our friends ordered the seafood nachos which frankly looked liked the shrimp and other seafood were overwhelming the chips! If I had been hungrier, I would have ordered this monster! Soft drinks (Coke products), adult beverages, and "Sweet Treats" are also available. The bathrooms are inside the surf shop. Paid parking is right next to the store. (If a song could be adapted for this review, it would start, "Shaka, Shaka, Shaka, Shaka Tacos)

Maybe it was all the talk about how good it was but we were let down :(…read more I always say sometimes expectation is the thief of joy. That was the case at Shaka Taco. No issue with the wait and the servers and staff were working hard and kind. That said, the prices were high for what you got and not having cups for water increased the dissatisfaction. We did enjoy the chips and the red salsa was good however our meals outside that were fairly flavorless. Pretty sure the only thing that was raved about was the Sangria Slush. I'm a fan of doing something and doing it well but not so sure outside the slush or the shrimp taco what the signature dish is here but it wasn't the specials, the seafood nachos, the beef, ahi tuna tacos.

My SO and I dined at Surf City BBQ one weekday evening during our family vacation. We enjoyed an…read moreexcellent experience, from delicious food to outstanding customer service. Surf City is a Carolina BBQ joint but serves up other southern staples like fried fish and chicken. Unfortunately, I must share that due to hardships, the restaurant is closing on September 30, 2026. AMBIANCE Country vintage is the theme and it's quite homey. Dining at grandma's house. SERVICE Kristine or Kris was our servers name (hopefully I got the spelling right). She was incredible. When I say she was attentive and so down to earth, it truly made our experience wonderful. We felt so welcomed to come in and enjoy some good southern food.. FOOD I really wanted to order a seafood platter but unfortunately they were out of fried catfish and flounder so I pivoted to a different entree. - Complimentary hush puppy sticks with cool ranch: they were good. Subtly sweet, but the cool ranch balanced everything out. - Half rack of ribs: this was the entree I switched to. The pork ribs were huge, tender, and tasty. They fell right off the bone, and I really appreciated the firmness of the tendon while I cleaned my bones. I had two sides, yams and cole slaw. I enjoyed the yams more because they weren't overly sweet, and the chef really allowed the yams' natural flavors to shine. The cole slaw was tasty but nothing special. I prefer my slaw more chopped rather than big pieces. The vinegary Carolina BBQ sauce at the table was excellent. - Eggroll BBQ Pork: my SO ordered this special entree, and it was really good. Imagine a big, crispy eggroll filled with moist, tender shredded BBQ pork. It came with a really good dipping sauce, which was a mix of honey mustard and BBQ sauce. The two sides I chose were fried okra and Brunswick stew. Both were fresh and delicious. Since they're closing, the owners are selling decor and other items from the restaurant. I purchased a lovely replica of a pay phone from the late 1920s or early 1930s to take home. Additionally, the cashier was very friendly and helpful. If you've enjoyed the food here, please go support them a few more times before they close their doors. Or simply, browse and shop for some cute decor for your home.

This local spot makes great Carolina BBQ Service is always…read moregreat wait staff is attentive Still one of the best deals for homemade food in Surf City

I ordered a delivery through DoorDash and it arrived extremely quick. I got the Mac n cheese,…read morechicken n pastry, mashed potatoes, and banana pudding and everything tasted lovely!! I also ordered during happy hour and everything I ordered was discounted, but even without the discount it is all well priced for the quality.

Don't come here for ambiance, come for the food! Hands down best southern restaurant I have ever…read morehad! From the sweet tea to every hot dish was just excellent southern comfort food! THIS is how you do chicken pastry right. THIS is how you do a baked Mac and cheese. If you don't try, you are miss out! THIS is what Sunday lunch after church feels like... home.

Visiting from out of town. Phenomenal. warm hospitality, and great fried food. Great Coastal…read moredecor, and open setup. Large outdoor space was also available, with two park benches.

I'd give it 0 stars if I could.... The staff was great but the place smells really bad and the food…read morewas mid at best.... Everything was deeply and heavily fried and the pork tasted like it was expired and soaked in vinegar

Thoroughly enjoyed the sandwiches and the soup as well as the desserts. Friendly crew, clean…read morefacilities.

Finally tried this chain. Heard good things but I wasnt impressed. I tried the Classic Carol, it…read morereally had no flavor. Even if its their basic chicken salad some seasoning would help. Worse yet it had pieces of cartilage mixed in. If chicken salad is your specialty I expect better quality especially at their prices

I had lunch with a friend, and he ordered the chicken and BBQ plate. It is an item I have never…read moreordered but may in the future. Seeing is believing. You can choose white meat, dark meat, or strips. This plate is loaded with excellent food. The strips were the size of small breasts. The food was exceptional; the BBQ is always consistent and really good no matter which location you visit. I had a basic BBQ plate with two sides of slaw. It's my way of eating the sandwich without the bun. It's my go-to, and it never disappoints. Maybe the best hushpuppies you will ever try. The staff who work there are exceptional. Just really good, down-to-earth people. They will come to your table to clear plates and provide refills. This restaurant has really good leadership that carries through to the customer experience. For a casual dining experience, you would be hard-pressed to find a better alternative. Fast food in a relaxed environment.

Our family loves coming here. The staff are so nice. The dining area is open, spacious and…read morecomfortable. The food is delicious. Highly recommended!

We were in Wilmington for an extended weekend trip and stopped by the Rooster & the Crow after…read moreseeing that it had good reviews and a nice, varied menu. This is located very centrally in downtown Wilmington and offers parking validation so don't be discouraged about the parking situation. There's a lot on the side you're free to use. We were seated right away on a weeknight and it was actually pretty full for being a weeknight. They have a good amount of space though. Millie was our server and she was a sweetheart. She was on it from start to finish. Checked in on us very regularly and provided above and beyond service. She contributed to our excellent experience. Fried chicken had to be ordered as it sounded so good and it definitely didn't disappoint. It comes with two sides and all of the sides were fresh. Portions were super hearty and generous. Chicken was fried to a crisp, in a good way!! The chicken sandwich was also great, but the fries are also very memorable, incredibly fresh. We were so surprised by how hot the food was in temperature, again in a good way. Everything was made to order. I loved that we were able to try this place out. I definitely recommend it and we will be thinking of the fried chicken for a long time!

Tl;dr - If you come here for their main event - chicken and fries - it's very good. Anything else,…read moredon't waste your time. Vegetarians need not bother. 3.5? I was not in love but I think there are some caveats there because I am not the typical customer. First, we appear to have come right at the height of their dinner rush. It took a while to get seated. The hosts told us to sit at the bar and then the bartender kicked us out of our stools because we were waiting for a table and apparently the bar stools were only for people who were eating, so we had to go find a bench. When we did get seated they put us at a really weird high top in a separate room when there was a much nicer low top available in the main room that we switched to. I got the sense both that this place was kind of hectic and that they didn't think they needed our service. But then as we were eating it cleared out all of a sudden and we were the only people left at like...8 pm. Our server was...accetptable. Not rude, but kind of short. Compared to the lovely personable service we got at other places in Wilmington it felt...I dunno, New Yorky? Then there was the food. And here comes my biggest caveat. I am pescstarian and do not eat chicken. So I ordered a shrimp po boy. It was not good. Not bad. But not good. Especially for the price which, honestly, competed with the prices where I live in DC. Every other person around me ordered chicken. My husband ordered chicken. He really liked his chicken. So obviously, this is a place where you get chicken (if the name didn't make it obvious). Had I ordered chicken I likely would have enjoyed my meal a lot more. But if you have shrimp po boys on the menu, endeavor to make them decent or take them off. Also I subbed a side cesar instead of fries and it was an afterthought. The fries themselves were excellent. If I ate chicken and came back to Wilmington I would maybe give this place another shot but as it stands, nah.

Easy access booth and chair seating. Very clean. Super fast staff, friendly "smokehouse" family…read moreatmosphere. Food was big portion high quality, average to upper pricing but well worth portion and quality. Lunch and a beverage is around $20 in 2026. Tony himself visited our table !!! :)

Dude, we love Smoky Tony's! The food is always great and well-priced, the service is warm and…read morefriendly, and don't even get me started on the cheesecakes! Worth every single calorie. Tuesdays and Thursdays are fun; they do trivia and music bingo. Always a good time!