TOPSHELF

I an going to Topsail Nc for the first time in 3 weeks. I had just read from a Fodorite of 2 great restaurants on the island. Can you give the names to me GeorgeW? We will be going with another couple for 6 days, any other recommendations would be great!

SusanEva

Hi -

We have a place at North Topsail. In no particular order, these are the places we always return to:

Riverview Cafe
119 Hall Point Road
Sneads Ferry, NC 28460
(910) 327-2011

Fresh seafood, good pies, local patrons, --a drive from Topsail and a little hard to find, but fun if you feel like a seeing a local fishing area.


New York Corner Deli
206 A North Topsail Drive
Surf City, NC 28445
(910) 328-2808

Great meats and salads. Meals are deli style sandwiches, etc. Good quality and can buy for takeout.

II Beauchaines
211 South Topsail Dr.
Surf City, NC 28445
(910) 328-1888

Just opened at a new place. Used to be one of the nicer places to go, expect it will be good. Better menu choices than the usual beach fare.

Long Island Pizza
610 New River Drive
Surf City, NC 28445
(910) 328-3156

Our second favorite place for pizza on the island. Bright and airy.

Max's Pizza
602-A Roland Ave.
Surf City, NC 28445
(910) 328-2158

We always make at least one trip to Max's. Our family is a big fan of their pizza; usually with a side salad. Other Italian food on the menu, but we're such a fan of the pizza, we haven't been tempted to try anything else.

Mollie's Restaurant
131 Oak Drive
Surf City, NC 28445
(910) 328-0505

Our favorite place for breakfast, nice home-like place. If you don't feel like driving to Snead's Ferry (Riverview) for seafood, this place has good food and reasonable prices.

All of these restaurants are casual. It's a pretty easy drive to Wilmington if you are looking for an infinite variety in choices.

If you haven't been to Wilmington, it's worth making a day trip, the horse drawn carriage rides through the historic district are very nice.

Visit Karen Beasley's Turtle Hospital in Topsail, if it's open for visitors.

Hope you enjoy the area.

GeorgeW

Latitude 34 and Beauchaine's II are the two best restaurants on Topsail Island. Latitude 34 was remodeling last fall so it is anyone's guess whether it will be open in April. Beauchaine's II is in downtown Surf City and Latitude 34 is in Topsail Beach, south of the downtown and on the Sound.

trishready

Have been going to Topsail since I was a baby, since my Mother is from there. Can't believe the growth of Topsail! Was there last Spring and ate breakfast at Mollie's. Can't beat the location! Had a family reunion a few years back and rented two houses on the beach...so much fun..even though it was cold! You may find that some places are still closed for the season. There are some fun restaurants in Snead's Ferry too.
Have fun!!

seasweetie

Been going every year since I was 6 or 7! You'll have a wonderful time. With the beach house, we don't eat out too much, but I still have to have to go to the Crab Pot just before the bridge in Surf City for lunch a couple of times - their soft shell crab sandwiches would be part of my last meal - and I still like going to the Breezeway for homestyle fried seafood platters. I don't know much about the restaurants in North Topsail - when I first started going there, it was nothing but a deserted windswept beach!

Kingfisherqueen

Speaking of Snead's Ferry, when we were in Topsail last August we visited a new place called Dr. Root Beer where you can see advertising signs from every brand of root beer ever produced. They serve some good casual food-cafeteria style. I hope the place is still there this summer because we want to let the owner know something. My son loves root beer, so we got a few friends together and had a blind root beer taste testing. It was fairly nauseating to sample a dozen root beers in one sitting. But we all agreed on the best one - Dr. Root Beer's personally brewed and bottled drink.

GeorgeW

The demise of Palotti's/Pirate's Den was a sad day for all who love Topsail. Old Joe Palotti died and the condo complex where his restaurant had rented space tossed Joe's kids out shortly after he died. Joe's daughter indicated to me that she and her brother wanted to relocate but they have yet to do so to my knowledge.

trishready

Sad. I use to love Pirates Den, the mini gulf at the south part of the islan, Scotch Bonnet Beach...etc...
I do miss the old Topsail of the 60's!

GeorgeW

Yes, and remember Barnacle Bill's. And Soundside is now gone.

seasweetie

I loved Barnacle Bill's - home of the amazing exploding ketchup bottles...

SusanEva

Fun to hear about other Topsail friends above.

We miss Soundside as well as Pirate's Den. This fall had a good meal by the north bridge at Tom Dooley's.

For Topshelf - another fun place to visit if you feel like a drive is Swansboro. We like the White Oak River Bistro, but there are lots of shops and restaurants to choose from. I think you can still drive through Camp LeJeune to take a short cut to get there.

pjanthony15

Latitude 34 was excellent but has been sold. Owners are now out of state and restaurant is to be torn down for condos. In Surf City, Daddy Mac, will re-open after a fire about 10 months ago. Should be open about the time you are there--would recommend that one over the others posted. Near Daddy Mac, the Mainsail is quite good. Indigo Blue has opened just before the bridge, near Max's Pizza. Indigo Blue is good for early bird's special, but way to pricey for the quality of food after about 6:30. Max's is good for pizza, subs, and beer. Riverview in Sneeds Ferry, mentioned by another person, is good for fried food. Ricky's is off the island over the high rise perhaps 1 mile inland. They're trying to pretend to be upscale, but haven't totally made it--not bad and worth the money. Reasonable prices and friendly folks. No good reviews from restaurant at Villa Caprina and terrible reviews from the restaurant on top of the St. Ritz on N. Topsail. Maybe go there for a cocktail and view but skip the food from what my neighbors have all said. I would skip Jacksonville if I was you, but Wilmington has a variety of restaurants and activities. Beauchaine (sp) is quite good--I've just eaten there too many times and tired of the menu. It's located in Surf City. Finally, the Crab Pot, mentioned above is good for at least one meal. Extremely casual, get half drunk, and have fun there. Food is satisfactory, but you won't really be going there for gourmet tasting. Have fun.

GeorgeW

Latitude 34 is gone now, too. I can taste the Latitude jambalaya through my tears. Almost all my favorite eating establishments in Topsail (The Rusty Scupper, Barnacle Bill's, Soundside, Pallotti's and now Latitude 34) are dust in the wind. Even Breezeway is in serious decline (lukewarm fried food- Agh!). The new Indigo blue was a disappointment and Mainsail looks unloved with few cars parked outside its' doors- I thought it might be closed.

pjanthony15

Couple of things I forgot to mention. At Surf City, the restaurant on the ocean, currently Cindy's, has gotten some good reviews. However, I'm not aware of the taste buds of the people who have recommended that.
Also I mentioned the restaurant on top of the St. Regis (I said St. Ritz by error). My wife stated it had not reopened after the damage to the hurricane last fall. Wasn't that good before so no great lost.
Finally, the Landing, just barely on the mainland across from Surf City is pretty good. Casual, with a good wine list, but nice water view and outside dining. Fairly popular with okay prices and okay food.
Come on down and enjoy.

seasweetie

I'd forgotten that we'd eaten at Cindy's last year - the service was slow, but they were swamped and shorthanded and very apologetic. The food was good - probably not stellar, since I didn't remember it, but good. I'd go back.

GeorgeW

We ate at what replaced Cindy's the week of July 4th and service was fast and the food very hot fried seafood. However, the place was closed when we vacationed at Topsail in October and in November, a little early to be closed for the season.

NC_Mountain_boy

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned Sears Landing yet. It is just off the island (just over the bridge to Highway 50). It's very much a laid back place, perhaps a better lunch destination than dinner, but the food is outstanding. They have daily seafood specials, usually broiled, with a variety of sauces and side dishes. You can even get a hamburger and great onion rings. If you have a boat, you can dock there and get your food.

Also, towards the south end of the island is one of the landmark hotels on the island, the Breezeway. It has been around for almost 50 years and has a very traditional (read "fried") approach to seafood, very fresh, and good huspuppies. Try to get there just before sunset for a view over the sound. Very nice.

GeorgeW

Sears Landing? Off which bridge is Sears Landing? And as for Breezeway, I have eaten there for almost exactly forty years before the motel was built. The location is lovely, right on the Topsail sound. About four years ago, however, I have found the quality of food has been deteriorating. For instance, the last two or three times I've eaten at the Breezeway, my fried scallops have been served to me lukewarm as if the kitchen doesn't know how to time food preparation or even keep finished food on warmers. Maybe the cooks just don't care. I'm actually sad to say that I refuse to eat at the Breezway any longer. I like my food piping hot.

Allyncgrl

GeorgeW- Just saw some of your posts. Wanted to give you some info. Yogi Pallioti has opened another restraunt. been opened for over a year now. It is called Yogi's Off Island Grille and it is in Holly Ridge. If you were traveling from NTBeach, you would get on Hwy 17 and head towards Wilmington. Just after the stop light in Holly Ridge at the intersection of 17 and Hwy 50, Yogis will be on your left. Kind of a stucco looking white building. Also, Sears landing, as someone mentioned earlier is just off the island, after you cross over the swing bridge on 50 in surf city. It is going to be immediately on your right.
And PJAnthony, you had mentioned that Atlantis was not opened after the hurricane last fall, but I live across the street and they have been opened. They were opened infact as early as last December. However, if they have recently closed it is news to me because people have been going there and lights have been on upstairs.

Allyncgrl

One more thing GeorgeW. I too loved Joe Paliotti and his restraunt and his food. We were good friends of the family and twice weekly customers. So, keep in mind, that although Yogi cooked for his dad...the food is different at Yogis. Not bad, just different. Yogi is still there, but obviously he has hired kitchen help nad if he is not cooking, the food doesn't taste exact..the old paliotti taste. It is still tasty and the seafood is suprisingly good. But don't be dissapointed if it is not the tastes you remember.