The Best Restaurants in Surf City and on Topsail Island

Surf City has far more places to eat than a town its size should, and the list changes every season. Two big waterfront restaurants opened on the sound in May 2026, and several longtime spots closed over the summer. So in October 2026 we checked every place on this page against its own website, its recent posts, and recent reviews. The ones that have closed are listed at the bottom, so you don’t drive to an empty building.

One thing to know before you start: Surf City sits on both sides of the bridge. The island side is the beach strip around Roland Avenue, Topsail Drive, Shore Drive, and New River Drive. The mainland side runs along NC Highway 50 and Triton Village, a few minutes across the bridge, and that’s where many of the newer restaurants are. Hours below are as posted in early October 2026. From November through March, call ahead.

Our short list

Where should we go for seafood in Surf City?

On the ocean

• Daddy Mac’s Beach Grille, 108 N Shore Dr. An oceanfront grill with a deck, right beside the Surf City Pier. Reviewers rave about the Maryland-style crab cakes and the crab dip, and there are hand-cut steaks, daily specials, a full bar, and kids’ and gluten-free menus. It’s open year-round and closed Mondays. Its fall 2026 schedule is Wednesday to Sunday, with lunch 11 to 3, dinner 5 to 9, and Sunday brunch 10 to 3. It takes no reservations and no call-ahead seating, and someone from your party has to be there to put the name in.
• Buddy’s Crab House and Oyster Bar, 101 Roland Ave. Steamer buckets, crab, and oysters on an oceanfront deck that was rebuilt after Hurricane Florence. Reviews of the food are mixed, so this is a stop for the deck and a cold drink.

On the sound

• Sears Landing Grill and Boat Docks, 806 Roland Ave. On the Intracoastal Waterway just before the high-rise bridge, where boaters tie up behind the restaurant and walk to a table. There’s a covered deck, rocking chairs on the porch, picnic tables by the dock, and an outdoor bar. It serves breakfast from 8 AM every day, then lunch and dinner. The crab cakes, cornbread, and crab fritters come up again and again in reviews. Google offers an online waitlist.
• Marina Joe’s, 209 N New River Dr. New in May 2026: a two-story seafood restaurant on the sound with two bars, decks, and about 170 seats. Oysters, shrimp, tuna, swordfish, and fish sandwiches, plus burgers and a kids’ menu. It takes reservations online, hosts private events, and does Sunday brunch.
• Coconut Cove, 418 Roland Ave. Also new in May 2026, in the old Hardee’s building on the Intracoastal, with a deck for about 120 people and live music. Conch fritters, shrimp ceviche, baja fish tacos, coconut shrimp, and frozen painkillers, plus a kids’ menu.
• JM’s On The Water, 602-B Roland Ave. A soundside seafood restaurant and bar with covered outdoor seating and live music. Crab dip and seafood platters are the order. Dinner Monday to Thursday from 5 PM, lunch and dinner Friday to Sunday.
• The Crab Pot, 508 Roland Ave. Newspaper-covered tables, snow crab legs, hushpuppies, karaoke, and live music. Reviews are mixed, so go for the crab-on-newspaper night rather than a polished dinner.

On the mainland side

• Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar, 13460 NC Hwy 50. The oyster bar: raw or baked oysters (try the jalapeño cheddar or garlic parmesan), crab legs, and a lobster roll. Open daily for lunch and dinner, until 9 PM Sunday to Wednesday and 10 PM Thursday to Saturday.
• Cape Fear Seafood Company, 14120 NC Hwy 50. A local seafood restaurant with crab cakes, shrimp and grits, fried oysters, and weekend brunch. It books tables through Resy, has a kids’ menu, and offers private dining.
• Low Tide Steakhouse and SandBar, 13741 NC Hwy 50. Steaks and seafood with a salad bar, plus Sunday brunch with a mimosa bar. Reservations on OpenTable.

Lobster

• Maine Lobstah Shack, 411 Roland Ave. Maine lobster rolls by the quarter, half, or full pound, lobster bisque, clam chowder, and lobster mac and cheese. Open daily, 11:30 AM to 7:30 PM. It’s the priciest lunch on the island, and the lobster roll is the reason to go.

Where can a group of 11 eat out together?

Most casual restaurants in Surf City seat walk-ins only. That’s easy for a family of four and hard for a house of eleven on a July Saturday. Here’s what works:

• Book a table. Marina Joe’s (online), Cape Fear Seafood Company (Resy), Low Tide Steakhouse (OpenTable), and The Boardroom Bar and Grill (SevenRooms) all take reservations. The Boardroom is inside High Tides and Good Vibes, so the kids can bowl after dinner. In Topsail Beach, Beach Shop and Grill takes Resy reservations for its indoor dining room.
• Know Daddy Mac’s rules. No reservations, but it seats a party of 11 to 14 at two tables, and anything over 14 has to split into two parties. From October through March, it will help plan a gathering of 7 or more through the contact form on its website.
• Eat when dinner service starts. A big group that walks in around 5 PM usually sits quickly. The same group at 7 PM on a summer weekend waits.
• Send one person ahead to put the name in while everyone else rinses off at the outdoor shower.
• Split into two tables. Two tables of five or six seat faster than one table of eleven.
• Or cook in. The seafood markets below make one big dinner at the house easy, and our large group guide has the steamer-bucket math for 11.

Casual lunch: tacos, burgers, subs, and poke

• Shaka Taco, 107 N Shore Dr. Order at the walk-up window and eat on the patio, with the beach across the street. Tacos, bowls, nachos, and açaí bowls, plus beer and wine. Open daily 11 AM to 8 PM.
• SurfDog Bites and Brews, 204-A N New River Dr. All-beef hot dogs, Angus burgers, wings, mahi tacos, and craft beer, with “Pups” meals for the kids. Closed Sundays.
• New York Corner Deli, 206 N Topsail Dr. Breakfast all day, overstuffed New York sandwiches, homemade soups, cannoli, and black-and-white cookies. Mornings until about 2 PM.
• Island Delights, 316 N New River Dr. A 1950s-style diner and ice cream bar: burgers, hot dogs, steak sandwiches, and more than 20 hand-dipped flavors. Seasonal, closed Tuesdays in summer, and closed for the winter.
• Surf City Smash, 100 Charlie Medlin Dr, Triton Village. Smash burgers with onion-bacon jam, Philly sandwiches, fries, and tots. Daily 11 AM to 9 PM.
• Surfin’ Hot Chicken, 104 Charlie Medlin Dr, Triton Village. Hot chicken tenders and sliders at several heat levels, mac and cheese, and loaded fries. Daily 11 AM to 9 PM.
• The Fast Fish, 205-A Roland Ave. Build-your-own poke bowls at a walk-up counter with outdoor seating. Wednesday to Sunday.
• Subs Up To-Go, 116-B S Shore Dr. Subs, wings, and salads, with gluten-free bread.
• Surf City Pier Grill, on the pier at 112 S Shore Dr. Burgers, hot dogs, and ice cream over the ocean, from early morning. Seasonal, roughly mid-March to the end of November.

Pizza, Mexican, sushi, and Greek

• Max’s Pizza, 602-A Roland Ave. A longtime island pizza shop with homemade dough, subs, pasta, and gluten-free crust. Wednesday to Sunday, 11 AM to 9 PM.
• Margherita Pizza Co, 112 Charlie Medlin Dr, Triton Village. Family-run, wood-fired pizza from an Italian oven, with wine and beer. Dinner only, Tuesday to Saturday.
• Wildfire Pizza, 614 N New River Dr. Build-your-own fast-fired pizza, pasta, and salads, and it delivers across Topsail. Handy for night one at the house.
• The Peak Taphouse and Kitchen, 205 Roland Ave. More than 20 rotating craft taps and personal thin-crust pizzas. For takeout pizza and pasta, Peak To Go is at 106 N New River Dr.
• Michaelangelo’s Pizza and Subs, 13460 NC Hwy 50. New York style pizza, subs, and calzones. Daily 10 AM to 9 PM.
• Santorini Greek and Italian Bistro, 205 S Topsail Dr. A family-run spot for gyros, pasta, steak, and 10-inch pizzas. Dinner, Tuesday to Saturday.
• Camino Real, 13460 NC Hwy 50, and Margaritas Mexican Grill and Cantina, 204 N New River Dr, cover Mexican, and Margaritas has live music some nights.
• Fancy Sushi Asian Fusion, 124 N New River Dr. Sushi rolls and Chinese dishes, open daily.

Where can I get breakfast and coffee in Surf City?

• Sunrise Bagel Co, 303 S Topsail Dr. Bagels made in house every day, house cream cheeses, and egg sandwiches. Daily 7 AM to 2 PM.
• Daybreak Donuts, next door at 303 S Topsail Dr. Hot cake donuts made to order, with your choice of glaze and toppings. Daily from 7 AM. Doing bagels and donuts in one stop makes breakfast for eleven easy.
• The Daily Grind, 114 N Topsail Dr. A local favorite since 2010: coffee, bagels, breakfast sandwiches until 11:30, paninis, cakes, and ice cream. It opens at 6 AM, and its big deck has live music every night.
• Surf City Coffee, 205-D Roland Ave. Lattes, frappes, and smoothies, every day from 7 AM until about 1 PM.
• Sea Blue Coffee and Ice Cream, 116-C S Shore Dr. Family-owned, voted Topsail’s top choice for ice cream and runner-up for coffee. Morning coffee, evening scoops, and a little gift shop, open until 9 PM.
• Sundial Coffee and Tea, 104 Charlie Medlin Dr, Triton Village. Coffee, tea, and baked goods, daily 7 AM to 4 PM.
• The Patio at the Surf, 104 Charlie Medlin Dr, Triton Village. Globally inspired breakfast, brunch, and lunch bowls, a kids’ menu, and a weekend Bloody Mary bar. It says dogs are welcome on its outdoor patio anytime. Open daily from 7 AM (8 AM Sunday) to 3 PM, with tapas some evenings.
• Diver Surfside Cafe, 809 Roland Ave. Espresso, açaí bowls, fresh juice, breakfast burritos, and avocado toast.
• Deli Works, 13500 NC Hwy 50. Breakfast all day with house-made sausage, plus lunch. Tuesday to Saturday, from 6 AM.
• Sugar Island, 206 N Topsail Dr. A scratch bakery and house-roasted coffee inside a shop full of books, antiques, art, and local honey. Wednesday to Saturday.
• Sears Landing (above) serves a sit-down breakfast from 8 AM every day.

Bars and live music with food

• Surf City Line, 2112 N New River Dr. Island-fusion tacos, bowls, and oysters, a full bar, ocean views, and live music every weekend. Hours are shorter in the fall.
• Revival Surf City, 2111 N New River Dr. A bar and grill with a late-night menu and pool tables. Reviewers like the chicken and waffles.
• The Boardroom Bar and Grill, inside High Tides and Good Vibes, 13971 NC Hwy 50. Coastal casual food, a bar, a beer garden where it invites you to bring the dog, and a cookie bar. Book a table through SevenRooms.
• Salty Turtle Beer Company, 103 Triton Ln. A veteran-owned brewery with no kitchen: bring takeout, or come for Food Truck Friday. Live music Sundays 4 PM to 7 PM, trivia Wednesdays, family-friendly until 8 PM, and leashed dogs welcome.
• Salty’s Surf Shack, 102 N Shore Dr. Salty Turtle’s oceanfront beach bar, with surf views, beer, and slushies. No kitchen, so order from its food partners nearby.

Live music also turns up on The Daily Grind’s deck, at Coconut Cove, JM’s On The Water, The Crab Pot, and Margaritas.

Ice cream and treats

• Celtic Creamery, 204 N New River Dr. Irish-recipe ice cream made on site every day, with 14 flavors at a time, plus sundaes, shakes, and pints to take back to the house. Seasonal (it reopened for 2026 on April 10), afternoons until 9 PM.
• Sea Blue Coffee and Ice Cream (above) for the award-winning scoop.
• Island Delights (above) for the old-fashioned diner sundae.
• Beach Bunny Hangout, 501 Roland Ave. Hand-dipped and soft-serve ice cream, shakes, boba smoothies, and arcade games. Afternoons and evenings.
• Pelican’s SnoBalls, 204-C N New River Dr. New Orleans-style shaved ice in more than 100 flavors, with a yard of games for the kids. Seasonal.
• Sweet Alicious, 14260 NC Hwy 50, by the roundabout. Ice cream, candy, and shakes in souvenir glasses, and a favorite stop with kids.
• Topsail Island Popcorn, 208 N New River Dr. Gourmet popcorn in dozens of flavors, Wednesday to Saturday.

Where to eat in Topsail Beach

Topsail Beach, the quiet south end of the island, is about 13 minutes from the Surf City bridge. Most of its food sits in one walkable block of South Anderson Boulevard, so park once and make an evening of it: dinner, a cone, and a walk.

• Beach Shop and Grill, 701 S Anderson Blvd. The most ambitious cooking on the south end: Southern coastal food built on local seafood and seasonal produce, with a serious wine list. Regulars order the crab cakes, the shrimp and grits, and the local oysters. Lunch runs Wednesday to Saturday, dinner Wednesday to Sunday, and brunch on Sunday. The indoor dining room takes Resy reservations, the patio is first come, first served, and the restaurant says dogs are welcome on the patio. It runs on a seasonal schedule, so check hours in winter.
• Breezeway Restaurant, 634 Channel Blvd. A Topsail landmark, run by the same family since 1949, right on the sound with the sunset across the water. The hushpuppies still come from the 1949 recipe, and the menu is classic fried and broiled seafood. Dinner only, closed Tuesdays, and seasonal: it usually opens around Easter and closes for the year in October. Recent reviews of the food and service are mixed, so go for the view and the history.
• Cora’s Isle-End Deli, 712 S Anderson Blvd. Sandwiches, wraps, and soups, some with Indian, Thai, and Asian flavors, under walls of movie posters starring the owner’s greyhound. Get the Reuben or the tuna melt. It’s small, open 10:30 AM to 3 PM in season, and most people take lunch to go.
• Larry’s Deli-Que, 718 S Anderson Blvd. A family smokehouse: brisket, the Brisket Melt, pulled pork, tater tots, and ribs on Friday and Saturday nights. Open Wednesday evening and Thursday through Sunday.
• White Crab Coffee and Books, 708 S Anderson Blvd. Espresso, baked goods made in house (the cinnamon rolls go first), and a real bookstore with story times for kids, in the old Quarter Moon Books building.
• Scoops Microcreamery, 714 S Anderson Blvd. Small-batch ice cream churned on site, house-made waffle cones, and dairy-free flavors, daily 1 PM to 9 PM. Next door, Four Cousins Ice Cream (run by the Larry’s family) is the other good scoop on the block.

Where to eat in North Topsail Beach

North Topsail Beach is the long, quiet north end of the island, 12 to 21 minutes from Surf City.

• Beach Bum’s Pizza, Bar and Grill, 4021 Island Dr. Hand-tossed pizza (the Hog Heaven and the Topsail Special), stromboli, and spicy shrimp tacos, with a patio that has live music on weekends plus trivia and karaoke nights. Open daily, with breakfast Thursday through Sunday mornings. At about 12 minutes from Surf City, it’s the closest of the north-end spots.
• Splash by the Sea, 790 New River Inlet Rd, at the Villa Capriani resort. An oceanfront restaurant and bar with a deck, live music, and a seafood menu: Boom Boom Shrimp, tuna nachos, crab dip, and steam pots. Open daily, with Sunday brunch. Tables are first come, first served except on a few holidays, and it books group events through the catering form on its website.
• Seaview Pier Restaurant, 124 Fishing Pier Ln. Counter service at the base of the fishing pier for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in season. Hushpuppies, flounder, and a shrimp po’boy on the deck. Reviews are mixed, so treat it as a breakfast-on-the-pier stop.
• Aarrr Pirate Bar and Grill, 2000 New River Inlet Rd, at the St. Regis resort. A pirate-themed bar and grill known for its grouper po’boy and onion rings. Call for hours.

Worth the drive: Sneads Ferry and Hampstead

Two mainland towns sit within half an hour of the house. Sneads Ferry, to the north, is a working shrimping town on the New River. Hampstead is to the south, on US 17.

• N Sea Oyster Company, 674 Old Landing Rd, Hampstead, about 11 minutes. A working oyster farm that raises its own “Dukes of Topsail Sound” oysters. At its Shuck and Chill sessions, Fridays 3 PM to 8 PM and Saturdays noon to 7 PM, you buy oysters and shuck or grill them on site, with beer, wine, and soups in bread bowls. Nothing else nearby is like it.
• Riverview Cafe, 119 Hall Point Rd, Sneads Ferry, about 26 minutes. Open since 1946 and run by the same family for four generations, on the New River. Fried oysters, shrimp, flounder, hushpuppies, and a lemon meringue pie people drive for. Lunch and dinner daily. It’s the top-rated restaurant in Sneads Ferry on Tripadvisor.
• Rick’s Restaurant and Sports Bar, 510 Petes Way, Sneads Ferry, about 17 minutes. A long-running family restaurant: crab cakes, crab dip, clam chowder, and live music some nights. Lunch and dinner daily.
• Spiaggia Ristobar, 1068 NC-210, Sneads Ferry, about 21 minutes. Italian, for when the group wants a break from fried seafood: burrata, carbonara, gnocchi, and tiramisu. It takes reservations on its website. Call ahead on a Tuesday, since sources disagree on whether it opens.
• Jebby’s on 17, Hampstead, about 24 minutes. Shrimp and grits, clam chowder, and Southern fried chicken in a relaxed, sports-bar room.
• Oval and Ale, Hampstead Village, about 24 minutes. Roman-style pinsa, a lighter and crispier pizza, with North Carolina craft beer and a covered outdoor area.
• Sawmill Grill, Hampstead, about 24 minutes. The big Southern breakfast: biscuits and gravy, blueberry waffles, and Crabcake Benedict. Opens at 7 AM daily.

Cooking in for eleven: seafood markets and groceries

A full kitchen and a dining table for a crowd make one big seafood night at the house the cheapest great meal of the week.

• Surf City Crab Seafood Market, 508 Roland Ave. On the sound, where the boats unload at its docks. Fish cut to order, shrimp, and shellfish, daily 8 AM to 7 PM. Buy a few pounds of shrimp and let someone become the low-country-boil hero for the night.
• Topsail Steamer, 302 S Topsail Dr, inside the 50 South Surf Shop. Ready-to-cook seafood steam pots, called Bay Buckets, made with fresh North Carolina shrimp from Sneads Ferry, plus crab, sausage, corn, and potatoes. Pickup only: you steam it at the house and dump it on a newspaper-lined table. On a summer Saturday, order ahead at (910) 328-2645, and call to confirm hours in the off season.
• Midgett and Son’s Crab Company, 2427 NC-172, Sneads Ferry, about 24 minutes. A fourth-generation fishing family’s market for shrimp, live blue crabs, scallops, and fish. Recent reviewers describe it filling big orders for vacation groups.
• True Blue Butcher and Baker, 13865 US-17, Hampstead. Sourdough, croissants, steaks, and butcher boxes, for a grill night at the house.
• Groceries. Surf City IGA at 106 S Topsail Dr is the on-island store, open 8 AM to 9 PM every day; there’s been a grocery on that spot since 1954. For the big first-day run, Food Lion at 13601 NC Hwy 50 is open 6 AM to midnight, and the Walmart Neighborhood Market at 420 Fun Center Dr is open 6 AM to 11 PM and offers pickup and delivery, so one person can order from the car on the drive in.

For a full week of group meal planning, see our family reunion guide.

What’s open in the off season?

From November through March, many places cut days, and some close for the winter. Daddy Mac’s stays open year-round on a shorter schedule (Wednesday to Sunday in fall 2026), and the groceries stay open all year. Island Delights, Celtic Creamery, Pelican’s SnoBalls, and the Surf City Pier Grill are seasonal. Down the island, the Breezeway usually closes for the year in October, and Seaview Pier Restaurant reopens in late winter. Our winter guide covers what a quiet-season week looks like.

Recently closed, so you don’t drive to them

Older lists online still recommend these, but as of October 2026 they’re closed:

• The Bistro at Topsail closed permanently in 2019.
• Beauchaine’s 211 on South Topsail Drive closed in July 2026, after 25 years.
• Surf City Barbeque on NC 50 closed in September 2026.
• unWINEd Wine Bar closed September 27, 2026. The Daily Grind next door is still open.
• Scallywags on North Shore Drive has closed, and 10th Street Bar and Grill is now Revival Surf City.
• Quarter Moon Books and its wine bar in Topsail Beach closed at the end of 2024. White Crab Coffee and Books is now in the building.
• Salty Sistas in Sneads Ferry has closed, and Ocean’s Edge at the St. Regis in North Topsail Beach was marked temporarily closed in October 2026.

Ready to plan your own week of eating well? Book your stay direct at Sound to Sea, a sleeps-eleven house with a full kitchen, minutes from every Surf City spot on this list.