This is a cool place to stop for lunch via car or boat! If your traveling by boat you just dock and walk up a ramp and enjoy the view. I ordered the flounder and shrimp special for lunch. This came with slaw and green beans. I had the fish grilled and I really liked it. It was fresh and had some flavor. The shrimp were average size which was fine. I don't think the green beans were fresh but they were ok. The ambiance is great here and service was spot on. We enjoyed our meal and continued on for more boat time. read more

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Aja and Amanda we are amazing. We were a party of 14 and all our orders came out fresh and delicious. The service was top notch and the manager even came to check on us a few times. I am so glad they have cocktail now before it was just wine and beer. read more

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ZERO STARS!!! What a sad excuse of a business! Instead of being accountable they only made excuses... "it came out of the press and our manager is out". I'm sorry, but my nephew asked for a burger not a damn panini. My sister was calm and did not raise her voice and the only thing they did was comp his little $10-$15 burger. Like at that point the whole meal should have been free and then some once he had a screw in his mouth!!! I will never step foot in this establishment. read more

Captain Nance's - Seafood Near Me - Calabash, North Carolina

The experience started off great. The hostess staff and waitress were great. Loved the hush puppies and honey butter were great. Then my son bit into a nail. A literal nail. They apologized and said they think it came out the press but like it literally could've killed my child. So if you're going to risk it I'd double check the food or atleast the BBQ. read more

Captain Nance's - Nail in BBQ sandwich. - Seafood Near Me - Calabash, North Carolina

We love Captain Nance. It's our favorite Calabash location. The food is fresh. The hush puppies are great. You can get a baked potato. We go all the time. Hate that the prices have gone up. read more

Food is okay for a quick bite but I'm not sure if the fish served are fresh catches. I got the grouper sandwich that came with hush puppies and coleslaw. Sadly, only the hush puppies tasted good. Coleslaw didn't taste fresh and the sandwich lacked flavors. And, I got my food within 20 minutes. Prices are a bit steep for the overall food quality and ambience. read more

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We had a nice dinner on the deck overlooking the boat docks. Server was professional and fast. We both got the Senior Combination dinners with Flounder - I added shrimp and my husband added oysters. The food was plentiful and cooked well. The restaurant was clean and in good repair. read more

Captain Nance's - Senior Combo Flounder and Oysters - Seafood Near Me - Calabash, North Carolina

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Sitting outside was amazing and so was the service. Sitting by the commode when I got back to my Airbnb was not fun. The food is a disgrace. I could've had a better chance using my cold fries as bait to catch everyone in the restaurant some fresh fish. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY HERE!!!! read more

The food was very disappointing. Probably the worst clam chowder I've ever had. We came here because the Seafood Shack next door was closed. Won't make that mistake again. read more

My husband and I drove all the way from Myrtle Beach to Calabash just to eat lunch. We saw the 3-star rating but decided to give it a shot anyway. The restaurant is casual, on the river with indoor and outdoor seating. They had a decent crowd for lunch, and our server, Steven, was good. We had lunch specials. My husband had the (popcorn) shrimp and baked potato and I had shrimp and sea trout with baked potato. Hushpuppies and coleslaw comes with lunch. The hushpuppies were excellent, and our meal came up quickly. I was not a fan of the coleslaw... too sweet-pickly for me. Both of us really enjoyed the shrimp, but the trout was so fishy-tasting I couldn't eat it. Our server offered to swap for flounder, which was really kind. But the flounder was only marginally better. Baked potatoes were perfectly prepared, and nice and hot. The lady at check-out was not very friendly. Disappointing visit overall. read more

Met some friends of ours for lunch here on 10-17-25. We ate out on the deck by the waterway since the weather was nice. I had an oyster sandwich that came with small, but a lot of oysters. I added cocktail sauce which was good without being to spicy. The wife had a soft shell crab sandwich that she said was delicious and came real close to what we had eaten in Maryland. We are not normally fans of green slaw but here it was very good. The hush puppies we kind of plain and not the best I have ever eaten. Our server Mike was very good, friendly and very attentive and thanked us when we left. With drinks, tax and tip it was right at $40 which I thought kind of pricey for lunch, but I guess it's the going rate for lunch at a place like this these days. If our friends wanted us to meet them here again or we were in the area a return visit would definitely be in the cards. read more

Our second trip to Captain Nance's in Calabash and once again it didn't disappoint. Fried seafood combo me and my wife shared and took plenty back home with us. Dog friendly and excellent service. Maryanna was our server this afternoon and she was friendly and attentive. We sat outside because the temps were around 82 which is excellent for the coast of NC in early August. I usually don't post a review unless we have visited a place at least twice. If you like "Calabash - Style" seafood I would definitely recommend this place. They only serve beer and wine but today we skipped the margaritas and went with an ice cold Pepsi. Enjoy... read more

I'm gonna start a collection and share it and call it "Great for Boomers" and this will be the first spot on the list. And I say that with love not hate as my parents are boomers. They, especially my father, would think that this place was the highest rated seafood you could find. The prices are cheap. The grease is heavy. And they offer senior discounts. 5/5 boomer stars. As for us with a bit better taste...this seafood is just overly friend junk. The fries have no style or flavor. The clam strips you can get anywhere including the frozen section at the store and they'd taste the same. I don't even think they made my stuffed crab there and it was almost all bread. The only reason I give it 2 stars instead of 1...the location and service. It is absolutely gorgeous and a great spot to sit and eat especially outside. The parking lot is huge and they had no problem seating a group of over 20 people I was with, nor did they have a problem taking care of everyone. However, the food was so bad I didn't finish it but took it home to my chickens...true story...see my photos! read more

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8/22/25: We enjoyed a late lunch on the deck overlooking the Calabash River waterfront. Server MaryAnna was very welcoming, friendly, attentive, and quite knowledgeable of the menu. We both ordered the lunch special of red snapper: one grilled and the other blackened. Cooked to perfection with sides of baked potato and sweet mashed coleslaw. The price of the lunch special was pleasantly reasonable @ $15.99 with a slight up-charge for grilled and blackened requests. The only negative was that many starling-like birds would rush a table for scraps as soon as the customers walked away, creating a messy scene...and one of us was pooped on while eating. Overall, an excellent meal with a marsh view. - Laura & Mark VanValkenburg, The Bluffs on the Waterway, Myrtle Beach read more

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Mediocre food and incredibly slow service even on a weekday night in the off-season. The views do not make up for the service and mediocrity of the food. What read more

Stopped here for with a group of people for lunch. We had a friendly waitress, and the atmosphere was pleasant. I ordered soup and a salad. My New England clam chowder and salad was o.k. My dining mate enjoyed his fish sandwich and coleslaw. The rest of the diners seemed to enjoy what they ordered. It was a pleasant day and some diners enjoyed outside seating. read more

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Lovely seating area overlooking the water. Relaxed atmosphere. The hush puppies were amazing! The fried shrimp very good. Had a lovely time!

This was a dirty place, food was disgusting. Canned soup when the water was out back. Not a place we will ever go to again. read more

Captain Nance's - Seafood Near Me - Calabash, North Carolina

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Good locally owned seafood restaurant. They have daily specials, a seniors and kids menu. Really nice people who own it and the portions are plentiful. Wait staff is always friendly and quick to serve. They have an outdoor dining area also that is a nice view of Calabash River read more

I had the flounder with baked potato. The flounder was thin and dry. The baked potato was cold and wouldn't even melt the butter. The hush puppies were good. Doubt I will go back read more

Worst seafood I've had and I'm from Idaho. So fishy and smelly couldn't stomach the river trout or flounder, service wasn't anything special either. Looked great tasted like ass read more

Warning....... Don't waste your money just because you can get a table quick. It's a shame that a restaurant on the water doesn't use fresh seafood. The shrimp are clearly from a bag and not from the states. The flounder and grouper were both frozen filets like you would get from Sam's. The price is the same as other much better locations in Calabash. Just wait on a table at literally anywhere else other than Captain Nance's! read more

Took a chance and so glad we did. We went on a Monday evening around 5. They were very busy but we got a table within 5 min. Our waitress was Amanda. Food and service was excellent. $100.00 for 2 adults and 2 seniors. We will be back. Thanks again ! read more

We were able to get in and get a table for 5 in about 20 minutes on a Saturday night. Once seated the server was quick and attentive. I had the snapper sandwich and was not disappointed. I also sampled a seafood platter with the table and the scallops and shrimp were amazing! Also really good fried okra. The only thing not enjoyable was the Cole slaw which tasted very pickled. We sat outside and had a good view as well as being able to enjoy the fresh ocean air. read more

Came here with party of 7 for lunch. Server brought Hushpuppies when we sat down. Best I ever tasted. Peel & eat shrimp were fresh, large, and cooked perfectly read more

This is our first visit to the Sunset Beach/Calabash area. I was excited about the location..upon arriving, the carpet was the first red flag. Hate carpet in restaurants , it's gross and outdated. Second red flag:bus tubs out on the floor with staff scraping food from plates into the garbage right next to tables trying to eat. Final red flag: food was tasteless and probably not fresh. Disappointed to say the least. We should have gone with our first instinct which was to try the Waterfront seafood shack right next door. read more

went there last Saturday food was greasy and was way over priced for the quality of food you get . ordered 2 bowls clam chowder 2 go and they used a 16 ounce cup and fill it half full told the waiter about it and said ive been to other restaurants and they fill the same size cup to the top. also ordered a lump crabcake plate to go. they were horrible will not go back. it was not worth the $172.00 i spent read more

Food was great, the service(the waitress) was sweet and the back deck was relaxing this time of year. I'd definitely go back. read more

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Staff, view and beer were good. That's pretty much all I can say about this place. I would like to say I'd come back but probably not.

shrimp were damn bait shrimp. Disgusting. They even sold full big shrimp right outside the restaurant. It was nuts. Everything was pretty terrible. Fish was fishy and gross. Took forever too. Never will be back. Holy crap they need to step up their game. read more

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We are here two weeks ago. The clam chowder was thin and awful, as was the grilled cheese sandwich! I wouldn't have believed that was possible. The seafood was mediocre, but the hush puppies were good. Service was good, but we'll never go back. read more

Updating my review because there's been a drop in quality. Our flounder was VERY 'fishy' tasting and portions are smaller. I get that inflation kicks in but the duo of lowering quality while exaggerating portion control is a sticky one. I'll give it another try since I've been a fan for 30 years but this visit was disappointing read more

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Must be hit or miss based on other reviews. Way better than the place we ate for lunch which had 5 stars. Broiled Sea Trout, Crab stuffed flounder, and cold boiled shrimp were fantastic. Patio seating right on the intracoastal made for a great evening. Staff was friendly and timely. Casual environment so this was perfect for since we only had tees, shorts, and sandals. read more

Let me start by saying I have eaten at Captain Nance for 40+ years, even before the fire and rebuild of the restaurant. We are seasonal residents and may eat here 4 - 5 times a year, however this past Sunday we went for lunch so my wife could see the pelicans flying up and down the river. We did see two, so that made her day until the lunch came out. She didn't feel like a dinner so she was thinking a salad. I said if that's all you want you should order the dinner salad instead of a side salad. It said with cucumbers and bacon. When it came it was on a salad plate, a couple tomato wedges and a slice or two of onion on top of enough lettuce to cover 2 cheeseburgers. Her ranch dressing was runny, didn't smell right and didn't taste right. She shoved her plate to the side and I gave her my baked potato. When the server came back and asked how everything was (along with the bill) we told him my meal was ok, but for $10 the salad wasn't any good and not as advertised in the menu. He said thanks, pay on the way out. The cashier asked the same question, again I said for $10.51 the salad was no good and not as presented in the menu. No offer to reduce or delete the cost (that is never my intention, but would have thought the restaurant would want to have customers that were satisfied and to return to their business). We will be going to Beck's and Gravy in Calabash for our seafood from now on. We always used to recognize the owners/management that would seat us and check us out and some wait staff would be there multiple years. The crew in there Sunday were all young and they've got some learning to do. I will add that I could have eaten all the flounder on my plate in 2 - 3 bites. That's ok, but $15.51 for a lunch special is much higher than their competitors. We heard from 2 different friends how things have changed there, now we know. read more

Everything on our seafood platter was fantastic! We'll be back. The atmosphere was casual and spacious. Our waiter, Steve, was excellent as well. Was worth a 25 min drive from Myrtle Beach!! read more

This used to be our favorite seafood restaurant, and we would drive 200 miles round trip to eat there, but now the food is just mediocre. Today the seafood was mushy like it had been frozen, and then defrosted. I am so sad! Oh , no! Those scallops were BAD. Now I have diarrhea and vomiting on the 100 mile drive home. read more

I wish I could give this place zero stars. First and foremost if you're looking for frozen fried seafood at a cheap cost then sure go there. If you're looking for quality stay clear. We were sat by the garbage... the entire time I was getting smells of dirty garbage... it's like a conference hall w a bunch of tables and noise. I went out w my Friday night outfit out and should've went w my flipping pjs, The food quality was so so so bad. I had the crab cake which was so pitiful. My kids had a hamburger and shrimp and it was just not good. Everything was so greasy and cafeteria style. I'm surprised they are still raved about and have any stars at this point. Needless to say stay clear. read more

The food was ok but the smell of the restaurant when you walked in almost had us rethinking our decision to eat there. Not sure if it was the carpet or just not clean, didn't make for a good experience when trying to eat read more

4 stars for service and ambiance; 3 stars for food. Wilson was a friendly, energetic and swift server and our party enjoyed him during our evening meal on the beautiful waterfront patio. The ambiance and good service alone would make me return to Captain Nance. Probably a different story if I sat inside - not as pleasant, very dated. The food was good but couldn't make it to great, except for maybe the fried scallops. Others thought the flounder was ok - thin fillets compared to elsewhere. Shrimp are smaller and were a bit heavy with grease. Nice baked potato option. Lovely outdoor covered patio overlooking the water - so enjoyable! read more

Captain Nance's - View from the restaurant patio. Beautiful! - Seafood Near Me - Calabash, North Carolina

Very strong unpleasant sour smell in the dining area. Service was good. The menu had mostly fried. The firecracker shrimp was excellent. It was raining so I have no idea what the outdoor dining is like. I would put it at 3.5 stars. read more