11 North Carolina Seafood Restaurants Only Locals Know And Love

North Carolina’s coastline offers some of the freshest seafood around, but finding the best places requires local knowledge. Beyond the tourist traps lie hidden gems where generations of families have served up ocean-to-table delights. These 11 seafood sanctuaries might not have flashy signs or social media presence, but what they lack in publicity they make up for with unforgettable flavors.

1. Crab Shack on the Waterfront

Morehead City harbors this unassuming waterfront treasure where paper-covered tables and plastic bibs signal serious seafood business. Captain Johnny’s family recipes haven’t changed in three generations.

Steamed blue crabs arrive by the bucket, seasoned with their secret spice blend that locals swear contains over 20 ingredients. The restaurant’s weathered dock offers front-row sunset views while you crack shells.

2. Pamlico Sound Seafood Company

Fishermen themselves founded this Outer Banks institution in 1983. Their philosophy? If it wasn’t swimming this morning, it doesn’t hit your plate tonight.

Blackboard menus change daily based on what local boats bring in. The crab cakes contain zero fillers, just lump meat bound with the lightest touch of mayo. Even during hurricane season, locals line up for their famous fish stew.

3. Calabash Seafood Hut

Tucked away in the tiny fishing village of Calabash, this unassuming shack has been serving the state’s most authentic Calabash-style seafood for over four decades. The magic happens in their kitchen where everything is lightly dusted in cornmeal and flash-fried to golden perfection.

Locals arrive early for the daily specials featuring whatever was pulled from nearby waters that morning. Their hushpuppies, crispy outside, fluffy inside, are the stuff of coastal legend.

4. Provision Company

Locals simply call it “Provision Co.” – this no-frills dockside eatery in Southport has been serving some of the state’s best seafood since 1993. The ordering system is refreshingly simple: place your order at the counter, grab your drinks, and wait for your name to be called.

Picnic-style tables line the deck that stretches over the water, offering front-row seats to fishing boats coming in with the day’s catch. Their steamed shrimp and conch fritters have a cult following among Brunswick County residents.

5. Spoon River Artworks and Market

Farm-to-table meets sea-to-table at this charming restaurant in Belhaven. Housed in a renovated early 1900s building, Spoon River combines local art with locally-sourced seafood in a way that feels both sophisticated and down-home.

Chef Teresa Hovey changes the menu daily based on what’s fresh from nearby waters and farms. The crab cakes, almost entirely crabmeat with minimal filler, have earned legendary status among Beaufort County residents.

6. Ruddy Duck Tavern

Manteo locals guard this Roanoke Island gem jealously. The Ruddy Duck might look like just another waterfront tavern, but step inside and you’ll discover why residents make weekly pilgrimages here year-round.

The blackened tuna bites with wasabi cream sauce have sparked fierce loyalty among islanders. Chef Brian Klauser sources seafood exclusively from Outer Banks fishermen, often purchasing whatever was caught that morning. The tavern’s rustic interior features salvaged wood from shipwrecks and fishing vessels.

7. Seaview Crab Company Market & Kitchen

What started as a roadside seafood stand has evolved into Wilmington’s best-kept secret for incredibly fresh seafood. The Seaview experience is unique, select your raw seafood from the market counter, then have it cooked to order in the adjacent kitchen.

Brothers Sam, Joe, and Nathan Romano built the business from scratch, establishing direct relationships with local fishermen. Their steam pots – overflowing with crab, shrimp, clams, corn, and potatoes – feed a family of four for less than most tourist traps charge for a single entrée.

8. Blue Moon Beach Grill

Nags Head residents have a knowing smile when tourists ask for restaurant recommendations – they rarely mention Blue Moon, preferring to keep this cozy spot to themselves. Housed in a converted beach cottage just two blocks from the ocean, this family-run establishment serves seafood with surprising sophistication.

The signature “Moon Sauce”, a creamy, slightly spicy concoction, elevates their already excellent crab cakes to legendary status. Chef Melissa Markham learned to cook from her grandmother, whose black and white photo hangs above the small bar.

9. I Got Your Crabs Seafood Market & Steam Bar

The name makes locals chuckle, but the seafood at this Kitty Hawk establishment is serious business. Owner Daniel Medlin is a third-generation commercial fisherman who opened the market to sell his daily catches directly to consumers.

The steam bar concept is brilliantly simple, choose your seafood from the market, then have it steamed to perfection with Old Bay seasoning. The blue crabs, pulled from nearby waters each morning, inspire devotion among year-round residents. Picnic tables outside create a communal atmosphere where strangers often become friends over shared crackers and mallets.

10. The Saltwater Grill

Swansboro’s historic district hides this local treasure in plain sight. While tourists crowd the more visible waterfront restaurants, locals slip into The Saltwater Grill, housed in a converted Victorian home just one block from the water.

The flounder stuffed with crab and shrimp, then topped with crawfish étouffée, has earned cult status among Onslow County residents. The restaurant’s wraparound porch becomes the town’s unofficial gathering spot on summer evenings.

11. Owens’ Restaurant

Celebrating over 75 years of family ownership, Owens’ stands as Nags Head’s oldest restaurant, yet somehow remains under tourists’ radar. The Owens family has been serving traditional Outer Banks recipes since 1946, when Bob and Clara Owens converted their home into a small dining room.

The she-crab soup, made from a recipe unchanged since opening day, contains a splash of sherry that Clara once claimed was “the secret to a happy marriage.” The restaurant doubles as a museum of Outer Banks maritime history, with authentic artifacts decorating every wall.