Seth the bartender is amazing at his job. Ribs are good and the service all around was amazing. I agree with other reviews that the place could be updated a bit but its the beach so i didn't care. Perfect place to get some drinks outside and hear the ocean and get a few snacks. read more

I think this place is a big bust. As soon as we read the menu we desperately wished that we had eaten across the street at Jack Mackerel's. Ugh . . . it's all pedestrian, over-fried, bland stuff. The salad bar looked like something out of a fast food establishment - nothing interesting and outrageously overpriced. The lunch specials were boring sandwiches at outrageous prices or fried seafood items over lettuce (supposed to be salads?) that were all over $10.00. Most of the entrees are fried options with boring sides. They had some plain-jane pasta options, etc. The trays of food the server brought out for other tables included fried fish that was over-fried and way too dark to taste good. Their crab cake sandwiches had over-fried, way too brown, smooth patties that looked like they were all bread and very little crab. Nothing looked appetizing. We almost got up and left but we were really hungy. We all ordered soup. Hubby and kids ordered clam chowder and I ordered Maryland crab. Bowl sizes were different. The 4.5 year old daughter ended up with a bowl bigger than her dad. Either way the bowls were pretty small for $4. More like glorified cups. The soups were decent, although lacking in seafood. They did serve some hushpuppies that were fresh fried and tasty. However, it cost us $20 for four bowls of soup that we could have gotten for $4 if we used a can opener at home. The soups weren't bad, but they were over salted, which is usually a sign that the person cooking is a smoker because smoking ruins the ability to gauge the salt in a dish. Skip this place and walk across the street. For the same price (or a better price) you can eat very good food at Jack Mackerel's. The souvenir shop is large and it has a little water feature with pirates, etc. However, many of their things are emblazoned with Big Daddy. I really don't want to spend money on a cheesy beach souvenir with a restaurant name on it. Particularly a restaurant I won't visit again. read more

First time here and probably the last. Should have heeded the reviews, but was looking for seafood on our day trip to the beach, and a couple others with a higher rating didn't have their dining room open yet.(Covid) Things started out good. Were quoted a 30 minute wait, but were called within about 10 minutes. Our waitress Chelsea was actually very friendly and attentive. She gets 5 stars. For the prices, I expected some top notch meals. My wife, who hates seafood, ordered a burger. Said it was cold when it arrived. Okay, it's a seafood restaurant...I'll give them a break. She also had fries which were cold and soggy. My son ordered crab legs. I thought these could have been warmer, but they do tend to cool off quickly. He really enjoyed them. $ 26.00 My meal was what warranted the single star review. I ordered fried shrimp, broccoli, and cole slaw. The broccoli was the highlight of the meal, as it was seasoned and cooked perfectly. The cole slaw was average, mayonnaise based. No real issue with it. The shrimp were borderline terrible. They were barely lukewarm upon arrival, and had no crispiness whatsoever. Very rubbery texture. It literally seemed as though they were cooked the previous day, put in the fridge, brought out and microwaved a few seconds, and served. The ONLY thing they had going for them was that the breader had good taste. $ 18.00!! I could have ordered shrimp at Hwy 55 or Smithfield's Chicken and Barbecue and it would have been a ton better. Sorry, but stay away and go somewhere up the beach or back in Wilmington. read more

I've been coming to Pleasure Island for 20+ years and have seen Big Daddy's evolve. What was once a yearly family dinner spot became a family joke about who would get suckered into wasting a meal there. Yet this year, we decided to give it another try, despite the Yelp reviews. Overall, we see some promise and hope it is a trend for the future! We had a party of 11 on a Friday night, but were sat right away to our surprise. However, it took over 10 minutes for a waiter to acknowledge us. We figured we had made a mistake and had contemplating walking away, before Joe stepped up to the plate. He saw us waiting and even though it wasn't his section, he took us on. He pretty much saved another negative review! His service was phenomenal as he kept our drinks full and made sure we had whatever we needed. Great personality and he worked his butt off for us. Appetizers were pretty good, we did fried pickles, the spicy shrimp, and wings. The wings had a nice smoke to them and some sauce had a decent kick. The hush puppies always are a favorite and continue to not disappoint. We do miss the salad bar from years past and hope to one day see it's revival. The entrees were lacking and need a little help. The fried seafood was good, and the peel and eat shrimp was okay. The crab cakes, however, I would suggest avoiding. One person took one bite and decided they weren't for him: when the manager noticed she said she wasn't surprised considering we were from up north and these didn't compare to the Maryland style crab cakes we were used to. Overall, it's not as dire as the reviews make it seem, but it still has some work to do. When you spend $20-$30 a plate, the quality should be fantastic across the board, and they just aren't there yet, but there seems to be some improvement from years past! read more

I'm rarely in Kure Beach but when I am I make a point to eat here the fish is very fresh and the hush puppies are amazing. While the place is modern, they've done a great job of keeping the past alive. The gift shop still resembles the same gift son of the 1970s which I think is awesome. If you are close by and want to take the family out for seafood and then walk to the pier, this is the place. read more

Big Daddy's Restaurant - Grilled oysters and flounder with fries! - Seafood Near Me - Kure Beach, North Carolina

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Every thing sucks and there is poop all over the bathroom floor the food is all soggy and the crab legs were old and potatoes were old I got food poisoning read more

I ordered the fish and chips for $14.99. The menu pictured a nice crispy filet with flaky white fish inside and a side of slaw. My actual order consisted of a few over cooked fish sticks your standard lunch lady wouldn't be caught dead serving, three hush puppies and some fries. I would have made out better in the frozen section of Food Lion. (I will be posting a picture) I got no slaw and when I asked about it the server, very nicely, told me that the dinner portion didn't come with coleslaw. Two tables over I saw another patron eating her's with a side of slaw. My margarita was only $5 since it was the special and it tasted like a sour salt lick. No bueno! $20.00 later I closed out my tab and left, not before swearing off this joint for good! On the plus side, if there is one, my server was very nice! read more

Big Daddy's Restaurant - That's the $14.99 "Fish & Chips" Don't bother!! - Seafood Near Me - Kure Beach, North Carolina

Seating was quick! The Bar was amazing! The roach that was smashed in the "clean silver ware" was a big absolute not gonna happen! We informed waiter and left the establishment. On the way to another restaurant we ran into some locals that confirm it's not the best place to eat!!! Absolutely disgusting........ read more

We had a big group that wanted seafood and our waitress suggested the boil. She brought out huge trays of food and we all left stuffed and happy! We ate outside and enjoyed the views and summer air. We will definitely go back. read more

This was not my pick. I just followed the group here. First group was 14 people so they gave us the room in the back. The waitress, Asia, was nice and friendly. She was patient with us as we were trying to figure out of drink order. First couple rounds of shots came out quickly for the group. Our order was taken. Then we had 2 more join our group and their food cane before ours. The reason we were told was due to it bring on a different ticket than the large group. Ok, that's fine and we understood. Lastly we had 5 additional people join our group. They were able to place their drink and food order right away. By now we were expecting our appetizers to come out. However it took about 20 minutes to get those. Then the meal itself took even longer too. Three people in our group got the crab cakes which turned out to be a mistake. It was terrible. My nephew said it was too dry. Needless to say they didn't eat it. The manager took the crab cakes off their order. My friend didn't get her snow crab leg order as well as my son who didn't get his wing orders. He was so hungry that he ate people's leftovers. We were told that there was a computer glitch and his order wasn't put in. They put that in after we all got done eating. We still had to pay for it. My sister had the seafood meal for 2 people and she said it was really salty but she ate it because she was hungry. I had the oysters which was ok. I've had much better oysters. I just thought it would have been good considering we were at the coast. I also had the mussels and clams which was probably the only good thing there minus the bread. It was toasted enough. Getting our check took a long time too. They had to split the bill. Our waitress was new and I feel that giving her this large group was setting her up for failure. She should have been given help in order to better serve us. It took us about 3 hours total from the time we sat down until we left and that was because it took extremely long in getting everything done. Worst dining experience ever. My friend didn't see my Facebook post about this place until after she ate there the next day and she also complained that it took them 50 minutes to get their food and their breakfast was terrible. How do you mess up breakfast? I usually give places a second try but I don't think I'll ever go back here again. Once is enough. This horrible experience scared us so much that we ended up eating at the house the rest of our time at the beach. What a way to celebrate a 40th birthday. read more

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This was such a disappointment for the price. The food came out cold, no drink refills, missing parts of our meal. We received the salad at the end of the meal when the check was presented. We never saw our server as well. I would not recommend this place to anyone. read more

I read other reviews and was hesitant to come here but we really wanted to sit outside for a quick drink. Our waitress was very sweet and keep checking on us even with our small order. They had a selection of local beers. Since I love gose I went with the "seed spitter." The glass that stated "drink local" was a nice touch but it was dirty so I didn't use it. My mom had a blue moon which also came in a matching glass. We were given complimentary hush puppies...still craving them now. It was a nice, quick experience but not much to go on with our order. read more

Big Daddy's Restaurant - Really good beer! - Seafood Near Me - Kure Beach, North Carolina

Update. The portions are large so be prepared to work finishing your meal. Crap for 2 is for 2! Shrimp Alfredo has 20 or more shrimp! And the burgers are excellent! read more

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We went there last night for an early dinner. Sat outside as they were dog friendly. Started out as a nice experience! Nice evening and our server was amazing!! I think she misheard my order as the music was playing and inadvertently brought me the wrong food. But she was very professional and said it would be fixed and we could take home the incorrect order. So while we waited briefly for my correct order some spiked hair manager (?) lady came and said she need to take back the incorrect order (after I had snacked on it) I mentioned that the server said we could take it home as it was incorrect. Passive aggressively she said no she needed to retake to from me an I could take the sides off if I wanted to. I said never mind I would just eat and pay for it. No big deal you would think. But NO! She said I need to take this and you can take your coleslaw off this plate. I'm convinced that my new order was made from the food that they took from me that had been sitting there. Not necessarily terrible but not behavior you would expect from the manager. We support local businesses but come on. We won't be back. Your choice. read more

Mixed review party of 6. My son and I had smoked brisket that had large portions and was great. But my wife got the broiled flounder that was mushy and not good at all. The Lobster mac and cheese was good, shrimp Alfredo with tiny shrimp was ok and fried shrimp platter was as good with decent size shrimp. They were understaffed and kitchen was backed up, but many tables readily available at 7pm Saturday. Still had to wait 15 mins. Service was poor and still waiting for lemon wedge when check came. 3 stars is generous but for the smoked brisket, a steal at $14. read more

Waitress didn't care that I was standing there waiting to be served, she ignored me the whole time even the bartender saw me and didn't say anything. I am not going to use the racist card but I would say that is the worst place I have ever been. Just stay away, not worth your time, trust me! Too bad Yelp doesn't let you give zero stars. read more

First time at Big Daddy's. We are local residents. We sat at the small outdoor bar; the bartender was actually wearing a t-shirt from another restaurant in Carolin Beach!! No greeting, no, "I'll be right with you", nothing. Sat there, ignored, for an unreasonable amount of time. Yeah, the guy was completing drink orders for the restaurant, but, how about a "How is your evening? Let me know what you would like?" Completely ridiculous. Got up and left. No thanks. read more

We had a very good dinner here with family while on our vacation. Our hostess was awesome and treated us like we were family. Our dinner was hot and fresh, crab legs were awesome, crab cakes were awesome! read more

By far the nastiest place I've ever eaten and I ate MREs for 10yrs in the Army. The mint and lime in my drink was brown. Stay away from this place. read more

We came from out of state to enjoy the beaches and sunshine. We got hungry and we saw Big Daddy's, a glowing beacon in the sands of Kure Beach. We walked in with reverence and open minds. The service was delightful; the cuisine even more so.I was knee deep in hush puppies and popcorn shrimp when the spirit took hold of me. It was Big Daddy. I had heard the legend, that Big Daddy ruled the 7 seas with an iron fist. When he retired, he built this restaurant with his bare hands: everything from crown molding to chair rail. Big Daddy provides for all of us, his children. We tipped the waitstaff well and left an onion ring behind so that Big Daddy would grant us safe passage on our long voyage home. read more

This spot was absolutely awesome, they have a great atmosphere, from the location to the music to the patio with seashells and turtles stamped in the concrete. The clam strips and fish tacos are to die for. I recommend the drunken parrot and Greg as the coolest waiter ever read more

Waited 45 mins for a table to be told there is no air conditioning half the menu was unavailable. Manager Clarissa offered to bring a table into the waiting room for us, so we could sit in the cool, which was a good way away from our family, as we have 8.... thanks for that, unfortunately I dont wanna sit 3 rooms away from my family. read more

It took 40 minutes to get a yogurt parfait that was simply yogurt, fruit, and granola. There were maybe two other tables with customers on the patio. We ordered two beers and two mimosas and two yogurt parfaits between seven of us- so not any complicated or large order. We asked for our checks and after 25 minutes we finally got them. A lady who seemed like the manager kept apologizing for the slow service, but didn't do anything to help out. The waitress was really nice but maybe overwhelmed. The yogurt parfaits were warm and the yogurt seemed old. Nothing about the food was spectacular. All in all I wouldn't recommend this restaurant for food or drinks or even decent customer service. read more

My family and I ate at this restaurant on 8/10/19 -- the experience was horrible. Two of our females visited the restroom before eating and could not get the water to turn on properly and the sink was very slow to drain, they then came out of the restroom and walked up a dirty hallway to the booth/table area. The area looked like and smelled like a church hall during a lent fish fry. At that point one of the females suggested that we leave, I said lets give it a try we have been to Kure Beach several times and had never tried this restaurant. We ordered our drinks and two appetizers (fried pickles and chicken tenders), which turned out to be edible. We then waited for at least 15 - 20 minutes for our dinners to arrive. While the server put my Fish and Chips(fries) onto the table she dropped the tartar sauce down the front of my shirt, onto my shorts and then it fell onto the floor landing on the foot of a female in our party, my fish was overcooked and the fries tasted like they had been cooked in old grease. Lobster Mac N Cheese had frozen Langostino pieces instead of real lobster, the catch of the day (Red Drum) was dry and spicy, the pulled pork was disgusting and the fried flounder/shrimp platter was not edible. The only good thing that happened is that the manager took my Fish and Chips dinner off of my bill, since the server dropped the tartar sauce on me. Overall our experience was horrible, we will not go back!! read more

As we waited for seating, a sense of optimism spread through my party. The outside of the building gave us the hope that the establishment was one of flavorful foods and family fun. Unfortunately we were wrong. As we were escorted up the ramp and into the flickering, dingy dining room, one could have compared to a church basement, our mood quickly declined. The depressing smell of urinal cakes stung our nostrils as we waited for our waitress, who was nice, but barely gave us any attention. Th appetizers, the highlight of the meal, besides the water, were decent. Upon delivery of the main course, tartar sauce was spilled on the lap of someone in our party. Flounder was served with skin. Fish and chips tasted like it was fried yesterday. I would have rather dined at the Golden Corral buffet or the bathroom of a Burger King, after the lunch rush on free whopper day. read more

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Sad, they were about 1/2 full when we arrived near 7:30pm... We were seated promptly (but hostess wasn't sure if there were tables available until we walked out and sat down).. server brought Waters quickly..... and it went down rapidly. 40 or 45 min later we had a server ask if we were ready to order.... another 45 min later... the food arrived... warm, not hot.... ordered grilled shrimp - no evidence of grilling... potatoes mediocre... Cole slaw sugary mayonnaise laden... no taste... fish n chips was slimy... coffee was undrinkable.. and server said they had no more coffee in kitchen..., Our server offered no apology for gross foods.... I don't believe I'll be back for a while... read more

Hailey was a great server while my friends and I were there for lunch. We have only visited once before yesterday and we have yet to be disappointed! The staff is very friendly and the food is amazing!! read more

All the haters are full of crap. The food was very good it's bar food so don't expect Michelin star, but it was very good. The hostess wasn't that polite but wasn't mean Our waitress was great! For appetizers we had the shark and pickle chips. They were both amazing. I had the bbq burger and the black and bleu burger with fries onion rings and cole slaw. The black and bleu burger was very good with plenty of bleu cheese. The bbq burger wasn't amazing but I still thought it was very good I just wasn't a huge fan of the bbq. The onion rings and fries are plain but were cooked perfectly. The slaw was also very good and I put it on my burger. On top of the food we could see the water from our outdoor seats as well as very pretty decor!! read more

I wish I could give them zero stars. Call before going and was told they open at 12pm. Arrived after 1pm just to see that they were closed. Called again and was told they open at 4pm. So we waited because we don't live near restaurant. Came back at 4pm and was told by manager that due to short of staff and inspectors were there they had to open at 4:30pm. We simple asked about the times and was just told they had no control over that. We proceeded to wait even longer only to be told that we were disruptive and had been asked to leave the premises. We were not the only customers concerned but we were the only black customers. Absolutely experience racism today and it was very hurtful that my 6yr old son had to witness such nastiness. Please don't patronize such nasty staff who were supposed to be managers and understanding read more

Normally I look at reviews before we eat anywhere luckily my phone was in the car and we stumbled upon big daddy's it was awful. I had a small cesar salad it was drenched in ceased salad I couldn't even eat it. My 3 yr old had a hotdog that looked like they put it in the microwave My husband and daughter had a burger which was okay fries awful. My husband had a bud light he said it was flattttttttt! read more

Daynaire gave us the complete dining experience. Really took care of my celiac requirements. Fresh yummy fish tacos and collards greens. Great deck. Good view. read more

Big Daddy's Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Kure Beach, North Carolina

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Ate here for years and liked the food. Then they changed hands, and couldn't seem to find their stride. I'm glad to say they're back and the food is even better. Fresh seafood, done right. Excellent sandwiches and sides. Crab dip is a must try. The service was competent and friendly. The drinks were first rate and very authoritative. Live music the night we were there and he was good as well. Big Daddies is BACK! Give it a try. We've eaten here twice (so far) and can't wait to bring friends and family the next trip read more

Please do not go here. It is a horrible experience. We got sat in what appeared to be a dungy old basement, with 2 cups of water to share among our 8 guests. We did not receive any more water until after our main courses arrived even after asking the wait staff multiple times. The salad which was ordered came as 5 giants leaves of lettuce and dressing on top, by far the strangest sight I've ever seen. My blackened fish appeared to be boiled and when asked she told me that is how they do blackened. They also forgot numerous items we ordered and it appeared the restaurant was in pure chaos even though the restaurant was not very full. While the staff was nice they were overwhelmed and need better or any management. With the numerous other choices in the area you should not torture yourself and go here. Avoid at all costs. One positive, the kids loved the fish tank. read more

Despite poor reviews, most restaurants were closed due to storm, so we ate dinner there. Save your money. My husband vomited. read more

Big Daddy's Restaurant - Don't go. Freddie's was closed due to storm. We ate at Big Daddy's despite reviews. My husband vomited. Yuck. - Seafood Near Me - Kure Beach, North Carolina

This place has gone down hill. I'm not sure if there's new management, but the place was empty. Also, they no longer serve you a basket of hush puppies unless you ask specifically. Even then, they're not fresh. The menu itself has been cut down significantly as well. It took the waiter about 20 minutes to get our food order alone and about 15 minutes to get our drinks out to us. The food itself wasn't spectacular either. My friend had blackened mahi that wasn't cooked well. My crab cakes (2) were a good size, but the flavor was subpar. The only thing that actually tasted good was the sweet potato fries. They were covered in cinnamon and sugar. Overall, I wouldn't really go out of my way to come back unless someone told me there had been significant changes. read more

Are you serious? This place should have a billion reviews by now. What's up with Yelp in North Carolina? If you like to eat and you like your vegetables fried, this place is for you. If you like your restaurants to be a one stop shop for a pirate shirt, a salad bar, and an ankle bracelet, this place is for you. If you think hush puppies should always come with your meal and your drink should come with an extra pitcher-full for your own refilling pleasure, this place is for you. If you're working on a triple bypass, this place may not be for you unless you truly have the will power to say no to soul food. I had lunch here with my family three days ago and I swear I'm still full. read more

Meh. Not terrible. Definitely not great. The scallops were actually fairly tasty, however the kids mac and cheese dinner was pretty bad for my 8 year old. The "fruit cup" was one of the plastic pull back del monte fruit cup with a "made it Taiwan" stamp. The mac and cheese was one of those cheap microwave containers. NOT GOOD. The waiter was fun and engaging however. The fried clam strips were terribly over fried. read more

We stepped out of our box and tried Big Daddys last Sunday for lunch for 4. Waitress was very friendly. We ordered brisket fries for an appetizer. Wow, very tasty amd such a large portion we still had leftovers of these for later between the 4 of us. Cobb Salad I ordered was awesome and giant portion as well. Giant cheeseburger and chicken sandwich topped with pulled pork were also tasty. We had yummy leftovers for the next day. We liked the BBQ so much, we went back today with 2 for lunch. We sat at the bar outside.bartender was friendly and attentive. I was craving their BBQ. Today I liked the pork better than the brisket, and the smokey sauce was AWESOME! Hubby got the Island Bird woth collards and it was tasty too! Also, their beer battered fries are super yum. I definitely recommend giving this place a try or two read more

It's funny to read the mixed reviews of this place. Simply put, however, the service was bad, the menu has changed (and not for the better), the food is over priced and our experience left everyone in our party with a bad taste in our mouths... And that was mostly due to the entire experience, not even because of the hush puppies, because now they charge $2 a basket for those instead of bringing them out for free like they used to. We tried to not let the menu change bother us when we first sat down. Half of us had been looking forward to the hush puppies since we got to the beach and we asked if we could have them. "Sorry, we don't just bring them out... We charge for them now." ok fine, whatever, we get a couple of baskets. The baskets come and there is no honey butter and there's maybe only like 8 hush puppies in each basket. What. Also, the salad bar is gone, but that wasn't a huge deal. Want some stir fry for $13 and add some chicken for $6, though? No? The menu is a mess. Got an appetizer, it was meh. Got our food, it was meh. There was a lot of it, though. We'll give them that. Pretty sure Robert Irvine would have a problem with their proportions though. Got the check after waiting for a very long time. Change was made incorrectly (tried to stiff us at least $20 and then at the end she still didn't get it right). During that time we listened to another large party near us and they were having a near identical experience as us, right down to the fact that they couldn't get ketchup out of any of their bottles and had to go searching for others. We talked to a couple near us and they were extremely unhappy with their experience as well, but they hadn't been here for at least 5 years. We have been coming at least once a year for the past 20. The candy room was sad. The hostess had a very see through dress with a lovely thong poking through. Our waitress was barely being held into her shirt. And the staff was all very chummy and not very productive. Place was near empty. You're one of the only seafood restaurants at a very busy pier! How do you screw that up?? It pains me to say this, but save yourself some money and don't go to Big Daddy's. They seem to be going downhill and our experience shows exactly why. read more

If I could have given 0 stars, I would have.... Coming from someone easy to please, this was the worst expensive lunch I've ever.... eaten. The bill total for two salad bars, a shrimp cocktail (with 5 medium shrimp), 6 weird oysters, and two cocktails - $61.39! The only upshot was that our server was nice. The patio was deceptively nice looking, but would not reflect the quality of food. I only wish I'd gone inside to look at the salad bar before ordering. It looked like it had been sitting there with the same vegetables since 1982. I've seen better salad bars at Shoney's. It had wilted lettuce from a bag, and a very limited basic selection of toppings. At $11 per person for 'all you can eat' salad bar it was a huge disappointment. Each of us made only one visit and could not bring ourselves to go back for more - it was that bad, or sad, not sure what to call it. But it gets worse.... We also ordered a shrimp cocktail (the only decent thing I ate there) and a half dozen oysters on the half shell. You'd think being that close to water they would be fresh. These obviously had something wrong with them. I've eaten more than my share of oysters and have never seen one, let alone 6, in which the liquid was not a watery brine, but instead a mucousy consistency like snot . These were slimy, not the oyster itself, but the brine. Although they did not smell bad, I was afraid that what I'd accidentally swallowed just prior to noticing the mucousy brine would surely make me ill. I'm not sure if they had been frozen or what made the liquid in them mucousy or slimy but they did not have the fresh saltwater brine I'm used to. Do yourself a favor and go across the street to Jack Mackerel's. We had an ahi tuna entree salad each there the day before and it was MUCH better in quality and the bill was significantly less including a couple beers and sides of chowder. read more