The Best Seafood on Topsail
Fresh local catch, the fried-seafood landmarks, and a make-your-own steam pot. The plates worth planning a night around.
- 01
Daddy Mac's Beach Grille
Surf City · ★4.3
Tops nearly every island list. Fresh local catch, proper crab cakes, real beachside views. If you only send a first-timer one place, send them here.
- 02
The Breezeway
Topsail Beach · ★4.1
A 1949 landmark on Topsail Sound doing the classic North Carolina thing: fried seafood, hushpuppies, and a sunset over the water. The heritage pick the locals defend.
- 03
Splash by the Sea
North Topsail Beach · ★4.5
One of the most in-demand tables on the island, and the best serious seafood up north. Shareable plates, shrimp 'n' grits, and wide-open ocean views.
- 04
Beach Shop & Grill
Topsail Beach · ★4.3 · $$$
The island's upscale, source-it-local kitchen, and the highest-rated restaurant in Topsail Beach. Worth every penny. Just come knowing it's the priciest plate on this list.
- 05
Topsail Steamer
Surf City · ★4.8
The make-your-own option. Take-home steam-pot buckets packed with local seafood, corn, and sausage that you steam back at the rental. Highest-rated seafood on the island, and the most fun with a crowd.
✱ Vote in the community
Have a pick? Help decidenext week's ranking.
Our weekly polls run in the Best of Topsail Island Facebook group. Vote, suggest the next category, and see results before they're published. 247+ members and counting.
Methodology
This is our editor's first take. A starting point, not the final word. The real ranking gets voted through the Best of Topsail Island Facebook group, where we poll the community weekly and publish the results every Friday. Think we got it wrong? Join the group and set us straight. Star ratings are pulled from public review sites as of June 2026 and will shift over time.