Seafood Restaurants

A word of explanation here: in a area surrounded by water, great seafood is available in many restaurants. The choices listed here are restaurants that devote most of the menu to seafood.

The Bridge Tender restaurant opened in 1976 and has been drawing diners ever since. Located on the Intracoastal Waterway facing Wrightsville Beach, there are both indoor and outdoor dining areas. Lunch and dinner are served and there are few things more pleasurable than enjoying a meal in this setting. Fresh seafood of course is the focus, but steaks, chops, pasta, salads and sandwiches are offered too. There is a full bar and the restaurant is non-smoking. The restaurant opens daily for lunch at 11:30 a.m. and dinner begins at 5 p.m.

Another restaurant on Airlie Road is Airlie Seafood Company, a restaurant that was recently renovated and also features that grand view of the Intracoastal Waterway. A twist here is that diners can build their own dinner by selecting a seafood item, picking the sauce to accompany it, then choose the side items they prefer from a large list of options. With extensive outdoor as well as indoor dining areas, Airlie Seafood stays busy year-round. They have a full bar and open for lunch at 11:30 a.m. and dinner at 5 p.m.

For a special dining experience on Wrightsville Beach, head to the Verandah Café, located at Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served throughout the year at the restaurant that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. An extensive selection of salads, sandwiches and specialty wraps are offered at lunch. Dinner entrees feature the abundant fresh seafood in the area. There is a weekly Sunday brunch buffet and kid’s meals are available. Verandah Café has a full bar.

On Topsail Island in Surf City, you should visit Mainsail Restaurant, located at 404 Roland Avenue. Here the owners, brothers Michael and Stephen Pasquantonio, present pasta as it should be done, fresh seafood with delicious sauces such as chipotle and creamy dill, steaks cooked to order and daily specials. They offer a kids menu, have a full bar, and are open daily year round from 5 p.m. Upstairs at Mainsail is the Commodore Room, a perfect place for wedding receptions, special birthday dinners or family reunions; live music is offered several times during the summer at the Commodore Room. Mainsail also offers full catering services, both on site and off.