15 North Carolina Seafood Shacks Locals Say Easily Beat The Fancy Places
North Carolina’s coast stretches over 300 miles, and somewhere along that salty, windblown stretch, locals figured out that the best seafood rarely comes with cloth napkins. Forget the stuffy dining rooms with their overpriced entrees and mood lighting.
The real magic happens at weathered shacks where the fish is so fresh it practically swam onto your plate, and the only dress code is shoes optional.
I’ve spent years chasing down these spots, and every single one proves that plastic forks and paper plates can deliver more flavor than any fancy restaurant ever could.
1. Waterfront Seafood Shack – Calabash
In Calabash, where shrimp boats bob on the river, Waterfront Seafood Shack feels more like someone’s dock than a restaurant.
This tiny shack and market sits right on the water at 9945 Nance Street, with its own boats bringing in local, wild-caught seafood that goes straight from the ice to the fryer or grill.
Guests order at the window, grab a picnic table under tiki umbrellas, and dig into platters of lightly breaded shrimp, fish, and hushpuppies while watching the boats come and go.
It’s open Monday through Saturday from late morning through dinner, and everything about it screams, “Skip the white tablecloths, eat right here.”
2. Swain’s Seafood and Cut Restaurant – Oak Island
On Oak Island’s main drag, Swain’s still has the soul of a shack even if the restaurant is in the name now.
The family-run spot specializes in fresh local seafood and small-farm meats, with recipes developed in-house and a reputation for generous portions and house-made desserts.
You’ll find fried seafood platters, grilled fish, and hearty plates that feel like something a coastal grandma would be proud of.
Locals talk about it as the kind of place that quietly keeps getting better while the trendy spots come and go. I ate here twice in one weekend and still left wishing I’d ordered more.
3. Fatcrabs Rib Company & Seafood Shack – Corolla
Up in Corolla, Fatcrabs is exactly what you picture when you think beach shack: paper-lined baskets, picnic tables, and kids running in still dusted with sand.
Tucked into Corolla Light Town Center, it’s a no-frills joint where steamed shrimp, crab legs, and fried fish share menu space with ribs and other comfort-food favorites.
The vibe is loud, casual, and family-forward. No one cares if you’re in flip-flops and a cover-up as long as you’re hungry.
It’s the kind of place where visitors end up eating twice in one week because they just couldn’t stop thinking about those crab legs.
4. Bonzer Shack – Kill Devil Hills
On the Beach Road at Milepost 9, Bonzer Shack looks like a surfer hangout that accidentally started serving some of the best food on the Outer Banks.
The yard out front is full of picnic tables, games, and sand underfoot, while inside you’ll find coastal comfort food built around fresh local seafood and Southern flavors.
Tuna, shrimp, and other local catches show up in tacos, bowls, and daily specials that feel more chef-driven than the casual setting suggests.
It stays relaxed and beachy, but the plates are good enough to make you wonder why you ever booked a reservation somewhere more formal.
5. Sugar Shack Fish Market, Oyster Bar & Grill – Nags Head
Next to Sugar Creek Seafood Restaurant on the sound in Nags Head, Sugar Shack is the walk-up sidekick that locals treat as their go-to seaside canteen.
Part market, part takeout spot, it sells raw fish and shellfish by the pound as well as cooked platters, steamed seafood, and casual baskets you can eat at their tables or take back to your rental.
The shack is open daily around lunch and dinner hours and is known for very fresh, locally sourced seafood with sound views as your backdrop.
Ordering a pile of steamed shrimp and hushpuppies here feels more right than any plated entrée in town.
6. Sea Chef Dockside Kitchen – Oregon Inlet
Down at the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, Sea Chef Dockside Kitchen is literally in the middle of the fleet, surrounded by charter boats and rigging.
The concept is a fun, casual, chef-driven seafood shack, with a counter-service lunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and full table service for dinner right on the water.
The menu leans hard into fresh, local seafood, supporting the commercial fishing boats in the marina, and you can eat inside or out with a view of the inlet.
It has a polished touch, but the setting right on the docks keeps the feel solidly in shack territory. I watched boats unload their catch while eating mine.
7. Alex’s Shrimp Shack – Salvo
In Salvo on Hatteras Island, Alex’s Shrimp Shack is more like a tiny seafood outpost than a restaurant, and that’s exactly its charm.
The owner came out of retirement from a previous seafood store because he missed feeding Outer Banks locals and visitors, and now runs this little shack on Sand Street.
Inside you’ll find fresh North Carolina shrimp, lump crabmeat, clams, oysters, and specialties like crab-stuffed mushrooms, plus simple cooked options and steam pots you can take back to your cottage.
Reviews describe it as a friendly, family-run spot where everything tastes like it came off the boat that morning.
8. Pop’s Raw Bar & Grill – Buxton
Across from Buxton Harbor on Highway 12, Pop’s Raw Bar & Grill looks like the definition of a roadside dive, but the locals pack it out.
It’s known for steamed seafood like shrimp, clams, oysters, and crab legs, along with fried platters, burgers, and barbecue sandwiches, all served in a tight, lively space plastered with beach-town personality.
Guides and Hatteras regulars treat Pop’s as a sure sign that the seafood passes local standards, and it’s open seven days a week in summer with more limited hours off-season.
If you’re the type who judges a place by how many salty regulars sit at the bar, Pop’s will instantly make sense.
9. The Shark Shack – Atlantic Beach
On the Crystal Coast in Atlantic Beach, The Shark Shack is a family-owned outdoor seafood spot that looks like a beach party frozen in time.
It’s a small, vibrant shack with walk-up ordering, outdoor seating, and a menu built around fish bites, shrimp, and other fried and grilled seafood.
The owners run it seasonally, typically staying open through the warmer months before closing for winter and reopening in spring, so locals rush in at the end of each season for a last basket.
It’s exactly the sort of place where you eat out of a paper tray, lick your fingers, and realize you never once wished for a linen napkin. Check hours before visiting.
10. Sears Landing Grill & Boat Docks – Surf City
Just before the high-rise bridge in Surf City, Sears Landing is a weathered waterfront spot where guests arrive by car or boat and head straight for the back porch.
The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a heavy emphasis on seafood: shrimp, scallops, oysters, and even sashimi-grade tuna all show up on the menu.
Diners sit on a big deck overlooking the marsh and ICW, working through baskets and combination plates with house sauces while fishing boats and kayaks slide past.
It’s casual and a little rustic, the sort of place where fried seafood beats any white-tablecloth dining room in town. I’ve never left without sauce on my shirt.
11. Walkertown Seafood Shack – Walkertown
In Forsyth County, Walkertown Seafood Shack proves you don’t have to be on the coast to pull off proper Carolina seafood.
This family-run restaurant near Winston-Salem serves huge fried and broiled platters: flounder, shrimp, scallops, even frog legs, alongside ribs, burgers, and other comfort dishes, all in a simple, family-style dining room.
Local tourism and magazine pieces describe it as a gathering place where generations come for hushpuppies and fried fish that tastes like vacation, minus the drive.
Regulars talk about leaving zero crumbs, which is exactly the energy you want in a list of shacks beating fancy places.
12. Shrimply Delicious Seafood Co. – Greensboro
Greensboro’s Shrimply Delicious feels like a modern spin on the classic fried-seafood shack: bright, simple, and built around baskets of shrimp, oysters, fish, and fries.
The husband-and-wife-owned spot on Golden Gate Drive focuses on fried seafood cooked to order, served hot and fast for dine-in, takeout, or delivery.
Visitors and local tourism write-ups praise the generous portions, crispy fry job, and friendly, hands-on staff that makes the small space feel welcoming.
It’s exactly where you’d rather be in shorts and a T-shirt than trying to figure out which fork to use at a nice restaurant. The name alone makes me smile every time.
13. Coast Seafood Shack & Country Kitchen – Vass
Down in the Sandhills, Coast Seafood Shack & Country Kitchen is a newer mom-and-pop restaurant that feels like a seafood shack dropped into small-town North Carolina.
Opened by a local chef already known for his farm-to-table sandwich shop, Coast serves coastal classics: fried seafood, baskets, and country-style sides in a laid-back space on US-1 Business in Vass.
Social posts and local coverage highlight its focus on fresh ingredients, locally owned roots, and a menu that bridges beach cravings with small-town comfort food.
It’s quickly becoming the kind of place locals push their friends toward instead of driving to a chain steak-and-seafood house.
14. Forest City Fish Camp – Bostic
Forest City Fish Camp has more in common with an old-school fish fry than a modern restaurant, and that’s the point.
The family-owned spot outside Forest City has been making friends with food for over 20 years, specializing in fried and broiled seafood platters in a casual, family-friendly dining room.
Local tourism boards and review sites describe big portions, affordable prices, and catfish and shrimp that keep locals coming back week after week.
It’s the kind of inland seafood place where the parking lot fills up early and no one is asking to see a menu with fancy descriptions. Just good fish, done right, every single time.
15. Big Dave’s Family Seafood – Forest City
Big Dave’s in Forest City is another inland spot that locals swear is beach quality without the four-hour drive.
Open since 2008 and recently taken over by new local owners, the restaurant serves big plates of fried fish, shrimp, and other seafood alongside plenty of non-seafood options in a simple, family-friendly dining room.
Reviews and tourism writeups highlight huge portions, fair prices, and that classic hushpuppy-and-slaw treatment that makes every table look like a small feast.
It feels less like a date-night restaurant and more like the place everyone agrees on when they’re craving serious, no-nonsense seafood. Exactly what a shack should be.